LeBron James: Who Would Be His NFL Equivalent?
By Erik Lambert
LeBron James once again held the sports world in the palm of his hand when the announcement was made he was leaving Cleveland and heading west.
The departure this time was a bit more cordial. Most Cavaliers fans expressed gratitude towards the future Hall of Famer for his willingness to come home and deliver on what he’d failed to the first time around: the city’s first basketball championship. Nobody will ever forget what he did in 2016, upsetting arguably the greatest team in NBA history with an unforgettable 3-1 series comeback. His greatness was cemented that year.
However, his career isn’t over yet. His quest for more championship rings continues. James will turn 34-years old this coming December. Even he can’t escape the ravages of time. He needs to find a way to get past the Warriors for one more title. That, at least in part, would explain his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While the debate continues over whether he made the right decision, there’s another interesting question worth asking. Given his talent and his history, is there any NFL player who experienced a similar career path?
Terrell Owens is the closest example to LeBron James in the NFL
There’s a couple criterion to fill here in order to answer the question. The player must be considered a freakish talent who was one of the best ever at his position. Also, he must have earned a reputation for frequently changing teams, becoming sort of a hired gun that could help bring on championship hopes. Under these conditions, there is one name that stands out above the rest.
That was Terrell Owens.
He fits the first requirement well. By the time he retired, Owens was the second all-time leading wide receiver in NFL history behind only Jerry Rice. People may have disputed how good he was compared to the greatest ever, but the numbers didn’t lie. Similar to how LeBron has endured the Michael Jordan arguments forever.
As for the other part, Owens was also quite the mercenary in his career. After a long run in San Francisco without a championship, Owens decided to leave and joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. Immediately a team that had failed to reach a Super Bowl despite three NFC championship appearances managed to break through. Though they lost, Owens was brilliant in that game.
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He then departed prematurely again, joining the Dallas Cowboys. In 2007, with his help they went 13-3, tying their best record in franchise history. The only difference between Owens and James was that one managed to deliver on championships when he moved to new locations. T.O. couldn’t quite make that a reality.