With The 2011 NBA Season In Jeopardy, LeBron James Has His Eye On The NFL

Most folks don't know that before emerging as an NBA superstar, LeBron James was one of Ohio's most talented high school football players. With a lockout looming over the NBA and the 2011 season in jeopardy LeBron James has turned his attention to the NFL.

Early yesterday afternoon, less than 24 hours after NBA commissioner David Stern announced that the first two weeks of the NBA season would be canceled, LeBron James tweeted ESPN NFL analyst John Clayton with an interesting question:

Now were LeBron's messages of professional interest or was he just seeking knowledge from an NFL guru like Clayton?

No one will ever know for sure, but we do know that this isn't the first time LeBron has flirted with the idea of playing in the NFL. In early 2009, James was featured in a State Farm commercial where he signed with the Cleveland Browns. Even though the commercial was very comically fictitious, James later told reporters he actually could be an NFL tight end.

If I put all my time and commitment into it, if I dedicated myself to the game of football, I could be really good,

At 6'8" and 250lbs, LeBron is definitely a beast, and with the success seen by Chargers TE Antonio Gates and Saints TE Jimmy Graham, both making transition from basketball star to NFL football star, LeBron's odds of shining in the NFL are very realistic.

The only thing standing in the way is his lucrative NBA contract. In other words, don't hold your breath.

LeBron James Signs with the Cleveland Browns in State Farm Commercial