Throughout basketball history, NBA legends have drawn comparisons to icons from other sports. We have seen Michael Jordan’s competitive drive mirroring Muhammad Ali’s tenacity, Kobe Bryant’s work ethic echoing Tiger Woods’ dedication, and Stephen Curry’s revolutionary impact paralleling how Wayne Gretzky transformed hockey. Now, another fascinating cross-sport parallel has emerged, as a former NBA star sees striking similarities between LeBron James and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in their ability to maintain excellence well past their prime.
While Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Jamal Crawford highlighted how James, like Mayweather, seems to defy Father Time while maintaining his elite status.
“I look at LeBron like Mayweather. I mean by that is this. Mayweather wasn’t getting into the exchanges as much as he got older. LeBron paced himself on the court so whenever he lost athletically, he’s still on the 99 percentile right off the athletes in the world. Whenever he slipped a little or he lost, he gained his mind… I think for him, the only challenge is going to be him and his mind. How long he can keep his mind fresh because athletically, if we’re saying, there’s a little bit of slip and he still averages 25-17-6 it’s like what we are talking about, that dude is from another planet,” said Crawford during the show.
The timing of Crawford’s comparison couldn’t be more poignant, as it came shortly after LeBron James achieved another milestone in his career – watching his son Bronny make his NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024-25 season opener. The younger James showed flashes of his father’s basketball IQ, in the 7 minutes and 41 seconds that he played by making passes to different players like Anthony Davis and his father. However, he finished the night with zero points, one offensive rebound, and a plus-minus of -5.
However, if we talk about what Crawford said, a direct comparison can’t be made since the two sports have totally different stats. But looking at Mayweather, who retired with an unblemished 50-0 record, we can say that James also isn’t just participating, but showing his elite defensive play just like Mayweather. His court vision and passing ability have reached new heights, evidenced by his career-high 10.2 assists per game in the 2019-2020 season.
“[LeBron’s] only challenge is going to be him … and how long he can keep his mind fresh.”@Jcrossover says LeBron “is from another planet” and will play as long as his mind allows him to
@PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/rnQeZGYdvd
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 23, 2024
The father-son duo will return on the court again on Friday, October 25th in a game against the Phoenix Suns. After Carwford’s unique comparison, it can be speculated that fans will now eagerly keep a lookout for King’s defensive play. But as Crawford has lauded James here, two years ago, James had also defined his friendship with Crawford in a unique way.
When LeBron James played in ‘CrawsOver’ Pro-AM
In 2022, NBA superstar LeBron James announced his participation in Jamal Crawford’s highly anticipated ‘CrawsOver’ Pro-AM tournament. The event, which takes place in Seattle, Washington, has been going on for the last 14 years.
Jamal Crawford took to his X to announce the inclusion of the 20x All-Star in the event with the caption, “I thought it was gonna be a movie… now it’s HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This will be a day like we’ve NEVER SEEN @KingJames WILL BE PLAYING @thecrawsover PRO AM!!!!!!!!!!! It’s O-V-E-R!”
Later James himself retweeted Crawford’s tweet which made the claim of his appearance in the tournament solid. “SEATTLE LETS GET IT!! Been over 15+ years since I’ve been back and played ball! Well the wait is almost over!! The (king) is BACK! @JCrossover! #ThekidfromAKRO,” read LeBron’s caption.
CrawsOver Pro-AM is a popular summer basketball tournament hosted by former NBA player Jamal Crawford. It features a mix of current NBA players, former NBA players, and other talented basketball players from around the country. Now as Crawford has recently lauded James and even Bronny in May by writing “I love how Bronny plays the game,” in a tweet it seems like the brotherhood between the two players is going strong.
The post After Bronny’s Debut, LeBron James’ Big Similarity With Floyd Mayweather That’s ‘Keeping Him Fresh’ Stated by Ex NBA Star appeared first on EssentiallySports.
