Athletes in Other Sports: 5 Stars Who Could Switch

Michael Jordan‘s attempted switch to the MLB had me thinking about other athletes in other sports, and how it would go. I tried to think of athletes whose skill-sets could translate easily from one sport to another, and came up with a list of five guys who I think would play very well in another sport.

Honorable Mention: Rougned Odor, UFC

Nuff said.

5. Zion Williamson, NFL

You can’t tell me that Zion Williamson isn’t built like a defensive lineman or tight end. At 6’6″ 280 pounds and a vertical jump of 45 inches, Zion would be a mismatch at either of those positions. How are you supposed to guard a guy like that? Good luck to all the 200-pound cornerbacks, and if you put a big guy on Zion, he would easily outrun or jump a guy like that.

Defensive lineman Zion Williamson would be just as dominant. He could be placed all over the defensive line, at defensive tackle or defensive end. Zion’s bull rush would be terrifying, and he could run circles around most offensive linemen. Seeing Zion Williamson line up on defense would make the quarterback quit.

4. Julio Jones, NBA

According to DeMarcus Cousins, the best dunk ever was by Julio Jones in high school. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a video, but that is pretty high praise from an NBA player. Julio has everything you need to be a basketball player. When you think of athletes in other sports, Julio Jones has to be a guy who comes in mind.

At 6’3″, he is tall enough to play point guard, at 220 pounds he is strong enough to bully smaller guards at the rim, and his speed and vertical are super impressive. Julio Jones is known to go up and get passes above his defenders. I see no reason why he couldn’t do the same on a basketball court.

3. Henry Ruggs III, NBA

Before he was catching passes at Alabama, Henry Ruggs was catching bodies in high school. Ruggs is a terror on the basketball court, as you can see. Ruggs has a ridiculous vertical jump and would be in contention for the fastest player in basketball, as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds at the NFL combine.

He would be small in the NBA at just 5’11” 185 pounds, but I think he would be more than athletic enough to make up for it. Henry Ruggs would probably be very similar to Russell Westbrook or Ja Morant athleticism wise in the NBA. As long as Ruggs has a serviceable jump shot, which I can’t confirm he does, he would be a very exciting NBA player.

2. Russell Westbrook, NFL

Russell Westbrook just plays basketball like a running back. He takes the ball, sizes up his defender, patiently waits for an opening, and then he charges at the rim at full speed and finishes strong. Sounds pretty similar to a good NFL running back, doesn’t it?

Westbrook always plays at full speed and with full effort. On a football field, he could outrun most defenders, and he would always be tough to bring down. At 6’3″, Westbrook would be on the taller side for a running back, but I don’t think that would be a problem, since there have been, and are running backs that are the same height. Russell Westbrook would be fun to watch in the NFL.

1. LeBron James, NFL

I’m pretty sure everyone here saw this coming. Still, anyone else in the number one spot would be a lie. When you think of athletes in other sports, James is one of the first to come to mind on guys who could’ve made the switch. LeBron is just the best athlete of all time, and he could’ve been dominant in basically any sport. LeBron has incredible size, speed, and strength, and could be used on offense or defense. I think his best two positions would be defensive end and receiver.

I believe LeBron James could have been one of the best defensive ends of all time. He is 6’9″ with the speed of a wide receiver, and he weighs over 250 pounds of pure muscle. The strength and speed combination would be almost impossible to block. I don’t even have to tell you about the defensive mismatch if he was put at receiver. LeBron can truly do it all.

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