Deion Sanders might now be a successful college football coach. However, back in the ’80s, he was one of the only American players to play multiple sports. As unimaginable as it sounds in today’s date, Deion Sanders has played professional football and baseball in the NFL and MLB throughout most of his career. Sanders has played for both Atlanta-based franchises, the Falcons in the NFL and the Braves in the MLB. Ten years since his retirement from the NFL, Sanders revealed he had an interesting opportunity to even play in the NBA, teaming alongside Dominique Wilkins at the Atlanta Hawks.
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Sanders is one of the only players to have been in three drafts. Two of these drafts were for baseball and one was for the NFL. Sanders won two Super Bowl titles and made one World Series appearance, making him the only player to do so.
Deion Sanders once revealed how he missed a chance to play for the Atlanta Hawks alongside Dominique Wilkins
At the time Deion Sanders was playing for the MLB side Atlanta Braves, he had the opportunity to also play for the Atlanta Hawks. The General Manager for both Hawks and Braves was Stan Kasten, who had proposed to Sanders the idea of making one debut appearance in the NBA. Narrating about this opportunity to Sports Illustrated, Deion Sanders said:
“I was drafted twice in baseball. But, I was close. I mean really close by. This is right historic. I was really close to playing for the Atlanta Hawks for one game. When I was with the Braves, I don’t recall the year, Stan Kasten was the general manager of both teams, the Braves, as well as the Hawks. And he was gonna allow me to play NBA games, so that I could play three professional sports. I convinced them that I can. I convinced them that I could get ten points, I was gonna get two steals, alright? And I could make the layup so that’s four. I was gonna get to the free-throw line, because I’m aggressive, hit one out of two three free-throws, that helped me get both up. I was like, hit the bucket okay? So I got step and just by being at the right place in the right time, I was gonna get another two. Now I just got to pray for one more point.”
Deion Sanders had all the opportunity to team up alongside NBA Slam Dunk champion Dominique Wilkins. His meticulous planning to score 10 points in an NBA game is something that set him apart as an athlete. There is a reason why Sanders is considered a great in both MLB and NFL. And this instance leaves us with no surprise, he would have done wonders playing in the NBA.
Sanders got flowers from LeBron James after his team won 2nd game this season
Just like Sanders, LeBron James also had an opportunity to be an NFL star. However, instead of choosing to be a multi-sport athlete, James decided to restrict his talents to basketball. But that doesn’t mean his love for football ever diminished. Bron stays updated with all the happenings of NFL and college football, and ardently follows the games every season.
As the college football season began this year, Deion Sanders’ team, the Colorado Buffaloes, were up to a 2-0 record. James gave his flowers to coach Sanders, acknowledging his ability to be a ‘Prime Time’ coach. Indeed, this speaks volumes of Deion Sanders’ success, being a 2x Super Bowl champion as a player and a 2x SWAC champion as a coach.
