LeBron James‘ commitment to excellence isn’t limited to basketball. According to his teammate Anthony Davis, the four-time MVP is a Madden savant and is obsessed with the game. The center was a guest on the Join The Lobby podcast and spoke about playing Madden against James in the NBA Bubble in 2020 and his progression into one of the best at the game in the world.
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Davis revealed that he loved sports games, including Madden, and was exceptional at them before pivoting to FPS games like Call of Duty. He added that he’d beat James often in their Madden duels, prompting the four-time MVP to “lock in” and become as dominant on the server as he is on the basketball court. Talking about James’ prowess, Davis said,
“From that time in the Bubble to now, I think now he’s maybe top 1000 in the world now… During the season, he told us beat the 164th best player in the world… If I am not mistaken, he’ll play like 15 games a day.”
James’ love for Madden is well-documented. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar often posts about it on his Instagram stories and he even spent New Year’s Eve playing the game rather than heading out to celebrate.
James’ love for Madden likely stems from his affection for football, a sport he almost took uo instead of basketball in high school.
LeBron James was a football prodigy
Like many great athletes, LeBron James was a multi-sport phenom in high school. In addition to being one of the best basketball players in the country, he was also an exceptional wide receiver, winning the Mr. Ohio award and earning comparisons to NFL great Randy Moss. He played football for two seasons at St. Vincent-St. Mary and racked up 103 catches for 2,065 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns.
Despite being one of the best prospects in the state, James abandoned football in his senior year to focus on basketball. It proved to be a billion-dollar decision, as he went on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history and one of the wealthiest athletes on the planet. While choosing basketball was the right career move, James’ love for football hasn’t diminished.
The Ohio native is a massive Cleveland Browns fan and follows them religiously during the season. Had James opted to stick with football, perhaps he would’ve suited up for his hometown team in the NFL. Instead, he chose basketball and brought a championship to Cleveland in 2016, the city’s first championship since the Browns’ NFL championship win in 1964.
