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“He’s Not So Tough”: When ‘The Office’ Star Steve Carell Jokingly Claimed He Could Take on LeBron James in a Fight

Nickeem Khan
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Steve Carrell (L), LeBron James (R)

LeBron James shook the sports world by deciding to join the Heat in 2010. However, his method of doing so was unlike anything we’d ever seen before. In a partnership with ESPN, James aired a TV special, titled ‘The Decision’, where he famously announced that he’d be taking his talents to South Beach.

Shortly after the program made its waves through pop culture, actors Steve Carell and Paul Rudd released a parody of it, aired at the ESPYs. Carell went on to jokingly claim that he would beat the basketball superstar if the two were to fight.

Carrell sat down with Rachel Nichols for an interview with CNN on her show Unguarded. The decorated sports reporter posed the question of whether the actor was afraid of LeBron’s reaction to Carell poking fun at him. ‘The Office’ star didn’t show any signs of backing down. He said,

“I can take LeBron James.”

The award-winning actor didn’t hesitate in his response but immediately backtracked. He hilariously said, “I’m sorry”, following his claim indicating his joking tone. Carrell didn’t stop there as he continued to playfully tease James with his responses.

Shortly after, it seemed Carrell had doubled down on his initial statement. “But, yeah, no he’s not so tough,” said Carell. However, he instantly apologized for his words just like he did before.

Nichols reminded Carell about the physical differences between him and the NBA star. “6-foot-8… I just want to put that out there,” Nichols said. His response indicated that LeBron James would actually be the one at a disadvantage. “I’m actually 6-foot-9,” said Carell. Of course, that is far from the truth.

In reality, Carrel is a complete foot shorter than his claimed height, standing at 5-foot-9. The enormous weight difference doesn’t favor the esteemed actor in the slightest either. James didn’t bar any hard feelings toward Carell in a public response. Moreover, the hilarious moment is cemented as an all-time moment in the history of the ESPY Awards.

Post Edited By:Sameen Nawathe

About the author

Nickeem Khan

Nickeem Khan

Nickeem Khan is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush from Toronto, Canada. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Media. Nickeem has over five years of experience in the sports media industry with hands-on experience as a journalist among other roles, including media accreditation for the CEBL, NBA G-League's Raptors 905, and CBC's coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

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