Being in the NBA requires amazing athleticism and physical strength that the average human would only dream of having. But what if those same physical tools that some players have could help them out in another sport, for example, the NFL?

So let’s take a look at five NBA players that could have easily made it to the NFL.

1. Zion Willamson

The first player who is associated with these capabilities is certainly Zion Williamson. A big reason that Zion was drafted number one in the 2019 NBA draft, is that his skill set compliments his size very well. He is a 6’7” 284-pound tank that easily bullies his way to the basket for easy points. That kind of body would certainly dominate in basketball, but it is also a dream prospect for NFL coaches.

In fact, scouts were so certain that Zion could dominate on the football field just like he does on the basketball court, that LSU offered him a full football scholarship. It’s interesting to imagine what could have been if Zion was exposed to football as early as he was to basketball.

2. LeBron James

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeG6qPknb18

The second player on this list and another player that’s considered to be built like a tank is LeBron James. James actually did play football in high school and was quite good at it. James was an all-state receiver as a sophomore and a junior, setting records in the state of Ohio that still stand. He gave up football as a senior to sign a multimillion-dollar deal with Nike during his sophomore season. James himself was pretty confident in his abilities, saying: “I felt like I was one kid that could have gone from high school to the NFL and played”, and he might be telling the truth. The 6’8” 250 pound freak of nature would tower above NFL defenses. His 44 inch vertical would rank among the top 10 all-time recorded at the NFL combine.

3. Jimmy Butler

During the Summer Olympics in 2016, our third player, Jimmy Butler, made some comments believing that he could have been a good wide receiver in the NFL. The 6’7” 230-pound shooting guard does have the physical tools, and work ethic to be a star in the NFL. It is reported that Butler carries a football with him almost everywhere he goes, which he received from Antonio Brown. Brown and Butler are good friends, and Brown has even commented on Butlers football ability saying: “He’s always running routes with me. He always wants to cover me. He’s in great shape and can run really fast. This guy’s a competitor and that’s what makes him great”.

4. Russell Westbrook

Number four on the list is Russell Westbrook, a 6’3” point guard for the Washington Wizards with amazing speed and athleticism. His 40-yard dash is 4.3 seconds which is faster than the average 40-yard time for cornerbacks at 4.48, the quickest among any position in the NFL. That type of speed would benefit Russ tremendously on the offensive end of a football game. Trying to guard Russ in basketball is already a challenge on its own, now imagine him coming full force at you down a football field. Russ actually played football growing up as a kid, and knows a good amount of the game.

In a 2016 interview, Russ said that he prefers playing linebacker over runningback because he likes to hit people. Even though he may lack NFL size, at only 200 pounds, Russ does have plenty of aggressiveness and explosiveness, which would help him play bigger than he is, something that we’re used to seeing from him on the basketball court. Russ however did play running back as a kid until he became too tall to play that position.

5. Shaquille O’Neal

The final player on this list is perhaps the most terrifying NBA player that could step foot on a football field and dominate on any given night, and that is the NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq actually played football in high school, where he played tight end. The 7’1” 325 big man from Newark would be a great player to have to protect the quarterback during passing plays. We’ve seen it in the NBA, that it takes a lot to knock O’Neal down, oftentimes double and even triple teams wouldn’t work on him, so him being able to hold off an NFL defense would make the quarterback’s job way easier. Shaq chose to pursue an NBA career over an NFL career due to the larger contracts that NBA players received.