LeBron James nearly invited the wrath of New England Patriots fans after initially leaving Rob Gronkowski off his Mt. Rushmore of NFL Tight Ends. His first list included Travis Kelce, Kellen Winslow Sr., Shannon Sharpe, and Tony Gonzalez. Moments later, however, James added Gronk to the lineup.
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Why did LeBron add Rob to the list? Though there is no clear answer to this question, LeBron’s body language suggested that it was more of a case of the NBA superstar forgetting the Patriots legend than being confused about his spot. From the initial four, the Lakers forward replaced Tony Gonzalez with Gronkowski and listed Gonzalez as an honorable mention.
As the power forward noted:
“Maybe I may take Gronk over Tony G. Even though I love Tony G’s name, I’ll bump Gronk in there. Tony G comes in at honorable mention.”
LeBron on his Mt. Rushmore of NFL Tight Ends @KingJames
– Travis Kelce
– Kellen Winslow Sr.
– Shannon Sharpe
– Rob Gronkowski
– Tony Gonzalez (Honorable Mention) pic.twitter.com/2U7uRcML0F— DraftKings (@DraftKings) September 2, 2024
From a statistical lens, it’s hard to compare Tony Gonzalez with the Patriots superstar considering the disparity in sample size — Tony has 270 games played to Rob’s 143.
But when examining the average values of relevant metrics, Gronkowski edges out the former Chiefs star. For instance, in the Receiving Yards per game metric — 56 for Tony Gonzalez compared to 64.9 for Gronkowski. Regardless, both have solidified their places in the history of the sport by dominating the position, and it’s well justified to see either of them make the list.
What’s interesting about this list is that it reflects LeBron’s knowledge of ball, which isn’t a basketball. While it surprised a few, others didn’t really flinch, given that LeBron was a top football prospect in his high school days.
Skip Bayless once predicted that LeBron would have made an elite TE
Back in his high school days, LeBron James was a talented wide receiver, earning first-team All-State honors and attention from FBS schools. Although he didn’t pursue football seriously, his love affair with the sport didn’t end there, as he also received tryout offers from his boyhood team Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks.
Considering his elite work ethic and an imposing physical presence backed by silky footwork, he would have killed it in the NFL. While his physicality screams him doing well in a defensive position, Skip Bayless in 2022 made headlines by saying that had LeBron played as a tight end, he would have been as good as Jimmy Graham.
For Skip, LeBron’s towering presence and footwork were a perfect fit for the role of a pass catcher. But if the challenge was to utilize LeBron at his maximum potential, the broadcaster revealed that he would have played him at left tackle thanks to his frame.
Skip believes that LeBron’s presence and game IQ would have surely made him a Hall of Fame-level left tackle against whom no edge rusher would have thrived.
“LeBron James, if he had so chosen, could have been a Hall of Fame left tackle. Obviously, it’s not a glamour position, but we’re talking 6-foot-9 and great feet. He would have to put on, I don’t know, 20 to 30 pounds? No edge rusher could have ever gotten around him,” the analyst said.
With LeBron’s affinity for weightlifting, a bulkier version of the Lakers forward would have certainly terrorized NFL offenses. That said, it’s worth noting that the NBA star is naturally an attacking genius. Thus, seeing him suppress his natural instincts to play defense would have been an unlikely scenario. It’s no wonder he started off as a WR in football.
