FS1 Analyst Rich Bucher slammed LeBron James for stating that his high IQ would’ve positioned him to be a “Chosen One” in any sport he decided to pursue as a career.
James received the “Chosen One” moniker after four stellar seasons at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. His otherworldly talent came long before that, as he and JJ Redick discussed in the debut episode of their “Mind the Game” podcast on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar reminisced on the precocious gifts he was able to exercise as an eight-year-old. He went as far as to insinuate that he’d be an all-time great in other sports if he went that route.
That ruffled Bucher’s feathers. The TV analyst called for more humility from the 20-time NBA All-Star on Tuesday’s episode of “Speak.”
“I could not hate this more. There’s a big difference between saying, ‘I am blessed’ and ‘I am chosen.’ There is a big difference between those two. And he said, ‘I am chosen.’” Bucher said.
.@RicBucher goes in on LeBron's "Maybe I was chosen" comments. 👀 pic.twitter.com/3JiEbhF3xO
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) March 19, 2024
“And maybe what’s craziest about it is he said, ‘You know it’s amazing, but I would have been this in any sport that I have played. Come on man. Would you show just a little bit respect to those who have done it?’”
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Bucher cited Super Bowl champions like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, who do things that no other athletes can at the quarterback position, for comparison to show why he believes LeBron’s statement is outrageous.
James did play two seasons of high school football, during which he was a two-time All-Ohio wide receiver and the No. 1 prospect in the state at the position.
He ultimately chose to purse basketball, but his prowess on the gridiron left sports fans wondering what could’ve been had he foregone the NBA for the NFL.
As amazing as James is at basketball, football has its unique challenges, as do all other sports. At 6-foot-8, the 39-year-old’s did entertain NFL stints at tight end during his playing career, but nothing ever materialized. All that’s for certain is the greatness he’s put forth on the NBA floor.
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