LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes are the best examples of modern greatness in their respective sports. The two legends have praised each other throughout the years, with one particularly hilarious interaction occurring when Mahomes had a courtside seat to a Lakers-Mavericks game back in 2023.
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James, who had stayed in after tweaking his ankle earlier in the game, at one point turned to his fellow multi-time MVP before inbounding the ball.
“You know what it is to play with a f***** up ankle, huh?”
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James was referring to Mahomes’ courageous performance earlier that month in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. In that game, Mahomes overcame a high ankle sprain to lead the Chiefs to their second Vince Lombardi trophy in four years.
Mahomes was not as successful in yesterday’s Super Bowl, as the Eagles got revenge on him and the Chiefs in a lopsided 40-22 game. He struggled to do much of anything against a dominant Philly defense, especially in the first half, where he threw for only 33 yards with two interceptions, only leading Kansas City to a single first down.
Both Mahomes and James have experienced highs and lows on the biggest stage. After yesterday’s loss, Mahomes is now 3-2 in the Super Bowl, while James is 4-6 in the NBA Finals.
James has praised Mahomes before, including earlier this season when he tweeted “KC just so good man! Doesn’t matter who’s not in the lineup as long as QB1 is!” after Mahomes led his injury-riddled team to a road win over the Saints on Sunday Night Football.
KC just so good man! Doesn’t matter who’s not in the lineup as long as QB1 is!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 8, 2024
Patrick Mahomes has learned a lot from LeBron James
James, who is 11 years older than Mahomes, has been a constant source of inspiration to the quarterback for his relentless work ethic throughout his 22-year NBA career.
Before that Super Bowl win two years ago, here’s what Mahomes had to say about James, who had just broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record earlier in the week.
“We speak once in a while, and I try to learn as much as possible. His record is inspiring because it wasn’t something that he was chasing, it was something he didn’t think was possible, he just kept working every day until he got it.”
James and Mahomes have become two of the all-time greats, not only for their ability to play through pain but also for their ability to bounce back from adversity. Each is facing a different kind of hardship now.
The recent rescinding of the Mark Williams trade dealt a blow to LeBron James’ Lakers’ title chances, while Mahomes must now find a way to rebound after a dispiriting loss on football’s biggest stage.
