Anyone who knows me intimately knows, I LOVE THE GAME OF FOOTBALL!! From the time I could talk, football was a maniacal love affair in my life. I never missed an opportunity to play, before school, during school, after school (after homework, of course) and on the weekends, forget it! It was my street against the other streets in my neighborhood, no equipment, no problem. I absolutely relished the sensation of crashing into other humans, making a big hit or, interception (I’m a defensive man on the field) it was the closest thing to Heaven in my young life. Basketball became a game I really liked, a lot; but, the pure love of it paled in comparison to football. If I had to make an analogy it would be, “Basketball is my girlfriend, but eventually, I will marry football”. My All-Time NBA/NFL Team.
All that being said, you’re probably wondering why I am putting football in the forefront of a site TOTALLY dedicated to hoops? Because just like the great hit song by my all-time favorite singing group, The Temptations, it is “Just my Imagination, (running away with me)”. Please give it a listen in your free time; a beautiful song!
So, as I have watched basketball over the course of my life, I have often wondered which NBA players would have been great football players in the NFL. Most NBA players grew up multi sport athletes so, it’s not far fetched, in my imagination. This is a fun article so, feel free to comment and, put your own players in positions if you desire. They are from all of the eras that I have witnessed, by the way. So, here we go, my ALL-TIME NBA/NFL TEAM:
Offense
QB- Jason Kidd – Great vision, great passer and he is 6’4. Magic didn’t make the cut, only because you don’t see too many 6’9 quarterbacks.
RB- Eric Bledsoe – Just look at him and tell me he doesn’t LOOK like a running back!
RB- Tim Hardaway – Again, short ( by NBA standards) solidly built, cat quick (remember the crossover?) and attitude to match. He’s getting the ball on 4th and goal!
WR- Julius Erving – This is my toughest position to pick. Gotta go with Doc simply because of the grace, fluidity and, HANDS. Doc could pick a ball up off the dribble in mid stride and punch it on your head for the dunk!! Kinda a Larry Fitzgerald type.
WR- Michael Jordan –I mean, c’mon, it’s Mike.
WR- Clyde Drexler – If your nickname is “The Glide” what other position in football are you going to play? Fast in the open field (court) crazy hops, fade patterns ALL DAY in the corner of the endzone!
TE- LeBron James – Another tough position to pick, I pick King James over Charles Barkley because Barkley once said he didn’t play football growing up because, get this, he was afraid of getting hurt. He wasn’t a physical basketball player, oh no, lol! Besides, LeBron was an Ohio All-State selection in football during high school.
OT- Charles Oakley – Oak was a career enforcer in the court, who better to guard your blind side if you’re Jason Kidd?
OT- Maurice Lucas – For all the yungins that don’t know who Big Luke was, that’s what YouTube is for. Top 5 NBA enforcer, hell, the NUMBER ONE of All-time.
OG- Oliver Miller – Kinda ate his way out of the league. He was a gifted big man coming out of UMass in the 1990’s. Maybe the Patriots should have given him a call back then? Could’ve turned out differently.
OG- John “Hot plate” Williams – Another phenomenal talent coming out of LSU in the late 1980’s who couldn’t refuse a good meal like a sailor can’t refuse a good time (Navy vet here, so I know!) Helluva player when he was physically conditioned.
C- Wes Unseld – Tough as nails defender and rebounder. Big bodied and solid besides, a guy who averaged more rebounds than points during his career has GOT to be in the center of your line. Played center at 6’7 during Wilt and Kareem’s eras.
K- Steve Nash – A very good soccer player as well as Hall of Fame point guard.
Defense
This is going to be fun!!
DE- Karl Malone – At 6’9 and chiseled out of granite, The Mailman is a no brainer coming off of the edge for a bone crushing sack!
DE- Kermit Washington – Another 1970’s enforcer. He’s best known for punching Rudy Tomjonavich during a bench clearing Lakers/Rockets brawl. Ugly punch but he was a solid player and really, from people playing during his time in the league, a nice guy.
DT- Charles Barkley – I had to pick Sir Charles. The former “Round Mound of Rebound” would have been a good defensive tackle. A Warren Sapp type, if he couldn’t make the play, he’d talk so much trash that if you’re blocking him, you’ll let him make the tackle so you could SHUT HIM UP FOR AT LEAST ONE PLAY!!
DT- Jack Sikma – I really like Jack, smooth big man with a soft jump shot. At 6’11 you couldn’t throw over him so, you’d be flushed out of the pocket into the waiting arms of The Mailman or Kermit.
OLB- Xavier McDaniel – The “X-Man” – He would have been an INSANE outside linebacker. Athletic and fearless, he would have been all over the field. Besides, he would scare the hell out of anyone with a bald head and NO EYEBROWS!! He’s still scary.
MLB- Dennis Rodman – Nuts. That’s all.
OLB- Anthony Mason – Along with Charles Oakley, pure muscle and intimidation for the front line of the 90’s New York Knicks. Very quick for a man his size at the time.
CB- Dennis Johnson – Arguably, the best one on one ball defender the game has ever seen. Anyone WHO TRULY KNOWS BASKETBALL, when asked who is one of the best defensive players they’ve ever witnessed, Dennis is always mentioned. If not, they don’t know jack —-!
CB- Randy Smith – Another athletic freak who was an All around great athlete in high school, college and, the NBA. Reminds me of another guy who made the team…….
SS- Russell Westbrook – Besides the physical gifts that Russ possesses, his attitude is that if a hard hitting strong safety. I will bet you any AMOUNT OF MONEY that he was a football player in little loop or high school. I’m sure he could cover the pass as well.
FS- Gary Payton– He gets the slight nod over Sidney Moncrief. We all know “The Glove’s” history. Lockdown defender and talker of much smack!! Incredible basketball IQ, knew where the ball was going at met it at said point.
P- Detlef Schrempf– European, why not? And I liked Detlef’s game!
PR- Allen Iverson – You’ve seen him, who else is that electrifying with a ball of any type in his hands? An All-State selection in football in the state of Virginia. A place where MANY Hall of Fame NFL players hail from.
KR- Calvin Murphy– Another dynamo in a small package. He had to have been one of the most fearless players at 5’9 that ANY SPORT had ever seen.
Well, there you have it. My All-time NBA/NFL team, hope you liked the selections and feel free to comment and make some if your own roster moves, I won’t mind at all!!!
Do you have a story about your favorite team? Why do you bleed purple, or green, or blue? Let us know. thePeachBasket was created to be the Voice of the Fan! Every fan has a story. What’s yours?
MY ALL-TIME NBA/NFL TEAM MY ALL-TIME NBA/NFL TEAM
