LeBron James was a multi-sport athlete in high school. The ‘kid from Akron’ was the best basketball player in the nation for his class of 2003 and was labelled ‘The Chosen One’ while on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a mere 16 year old. He was simultaneously one of the best receivers in football in the country.
Advertisement
Basketball and football, perhaps the two most popular sports in the United States, were being conquered by one 17 year old at the high school level. LeBron eventually went down the NBA route but not without having gotten an offer by the Dallas Cowboys during the 2011 lockout season to come play WR for them.
It’s safe to say that James was a pure multi-sport athlete during his youth but many don’t account for the fact that he may have added another sport into the mix. 2008 saw the Cleveland Cavalier showcase his bowling repertoire to the world.
LeBron James won a bowling tournament hosted by Chris Paul
October of 2008 saw Chris Paul hold a bowling tournament where NBA superstars would team up with world class bowlers to take each other on in the form of duos. LeBron James teamed up with Jason Couch while Chris Paul was with PBA Player of the Year for 2007-08, Chris Barnes.
Despite being the event’s host and being teamed up with the best bowler in the nation at the time, LeBron and Couch would come out on top. The two duos would face off against one another in the championship round with James/Couch winning 214-195, with ‘The King’ even hitting a strike as the title round was heading to a close.
That time LeBron beat Chris Paul in his own bowling competition
— Masked 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) April 11, 2023
Other superstars who showed up were Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, and even Rudy Gay. This event being one for charity was what led to such a big turnout.
“I had a lot of fun. I love to bowl and wanted to come out here for a good cause and help Chris with his charity event,” said James. It’s unclear how much money CP3 raised but with top tier athletes like the ones who at the event showing up, they certainly must’ve donated quite a bit the CP3 Foundation.
