Could An NBA Player Play In The NFL And Could An NFL Player Play in the NBA?
More like which players could play in the opposite sport
A fun topic today – Could an NBA player play in the NFL, and could an NFL player play in the NBA?
Here are my thoughts.
Yes — but only a few for each sport.
But that’s not as fun of a topic: The NBA Players That Can Play in the NFL and The NFL Players That Can Play in the NBA.
Which is why, today, I created an NBA-player NFL squad and vice versa. Now, for the hoopers, it’s not a 53-man roster — meaning no backups, with the exception of running back and receiver. And for football, a full 15-man team.
Which squad is better at the opposite sport? You let me know in the comments!
Current players only. That also means no non-retired players who are playing overseas (NBA) or in spring leagues like the UFL or overseas (NFL).
Man, I would love to put Kenneth Lofton Jr. in here somewhere.
The NBA Gridiron
Honorable Mention: Walter Clayton Jr. – He’s not in the league just yet, but you can’t forget that he was a four-star recruit at quarterback, safety, and kicker. He got offers from Notre Dame, Tennessee, and even Florida’s football team.
QB: Jalen Suggs
A star quarterback in high school, Suggs chose basketball in the end. A four-star recruit, the Orlando Magic guard was named Minnesota’s Mr. Football the same year he won the award for basketball. Related to former Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, Jalen has the bloodline and the skill. Shades of Cam Ward and Patrick Mahomes — I really think that if he stuck with football, he would’ve made it to the NFL.
RB 1: Ja Morant
A young guy and one of the fastest players in the league, Ja Morant has all the skills to make a great running back. He’s not the strongest — but not the weakest — and when there’s not much defense in sight, he’s gone to the house.
RB 2: Russell Westbrook
Similar to Morant, Westbrook is fast. However, he’s stronger. At 36 years old, he’s a player who, on the football field, would still contribute at an older age. Think of the Houston Texans’ new RB room: Joe Mixon (younger – similar to Morant), and Nick Chubb (older – similar to Westbrook).
WR 1: Anthony Edwards
You knew I had to include Anthony Edwards in this lineup — and here he is. At wide receiver, the Minnesota Timberwolf is an athletic freak who can do everything. He can jump, run, and break tackles. Edwards has even said that once he wins a championship, he may pursue an NFL career.
WR 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo
At nearly 7 feet tall, we’re talking about a MONSTER. A one-of-a-kind, skilled, and built player, Giannis would be a problem on the football field. Good luck trying to tackle him — heck, even getting by him. You’d be intimidated just seeing him.
TE: LeBron James
Like Edwards, you knew I had to put LeBron somewhere. At tight end, James has the perfect build — 250 pounds. At 40 years old, it might be hard for him to stay on the field. However, he’s still averaging over 20 points a game in the NBA, so imagine him in football. He received interest from schools like Ohio State — “The King” almost took the football route. So yes, he’s older, but even now, LeBron James is a player you wouldn’t want to deal with.
Offensive Line
RT: Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis has the perfect build for a right tackle. Well — he’s a little skinny for one. But at 6’10”, that’s a monster. Quick enough to block edge rushers and strong enough to set the edge for outside runs, Davis would be the athletic protector every quarterback wants. His only issue? Staying healthy. Remember former offensive tackle, and San Francisco 49er, Anthony Davis? Real guy.
LT: Zion Williamson
Built like a tank, Zion played football in high school. An explosive player, Williamson weighs 284 pounds and moves like a tight end.
RG: Steven Adams
Steven Adams brings the physicality, toughness, and IQ that make for a perfect interior lineman. At 6’11” and 250+ pounds, he’s tough as nails. Literally Jordan Mailata - just skinnier.
LG: Nikola Jokić
One of the heaviest and strongest players in NBA history, Jokić would be scary to go up against. Some say he’s a quarterback, with passing skills that mimic Jared Lorenzen or Ben Roethlisberger. But at 284 pounds, he screams offensive guard to me.
C: Andre Drummond
A natural center in both sports. Drummond brings the size and strength to dominate at the position. At 6’10” and over 270 pounds, he’d be the anchor of the offensive line. Let’s just hope he knows how to snap the ball.
Defense
CB 1: De’Aaron Fox
Fast guy, could probably get a few interceptions if he really tried. Though he’s not the tallest, his speed and vertical would help him out.
CB 2: Amen Thompson
Thompson has 6’7” size and blazing speed. He’s long and athletic — not a cornerback you see every day. Reminds me of Richard Sherman in some ways.
MLB: Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi would be a Lavonte David-type with long arms and the strength to take down tight ends and running backs.
OLB: Draymond Green
The heart and soul of your defense. Green is vocal, aggressive, and unafraid to get dirty. You’ve seen him fight — he’ll put you in a headlock on a basketball court. Just imagine him destroying offensive players on a football field.
ILB: Lu Dort
Relentless. A player who plays tenacious defense. Players, including Patrick Mahomes, have even said he could play in the NFL. Dort is built like a linebacker and has all the tools.
SS: Jimmy Butler
Grit, toughness, and attitude. Butler would lay the wood and talk trash while doing it. A perfect strong safety — older, but with enough toughness to make up for it.
FS: Donovan Mitchell
A quick athlete who makes big plays. Mitchell played football in high school and knows the sport. Getting some tips from Lamar Jackson (they were both at Louisville) would help him read quarterbacks and make big-time plays.
DE: Joel Embiid
Imagine a 7’0” defensive end coming after you. Weighing 280, he’d be unstoppable. He might get injured during the season, but when healthy — he’s absolutely someone you don’t want to deal with
DE: Kevin Durant
Tall, long, and athletic. Durant may be skinny, but with his wingspan and quickness, he’d be a dangerous edge rusher.
DT: Jusuf Nurkić
Big and physical. At 290 pounds, he might not move the fastest, but he’ll make up for it with pure strength.
DT: Jonas Valančiūnas
A strong big man with force and power, Jonas Valančiūnas would be an elite run-stopper. At 6’11” and nearly 270 pounds, he has the size to be a dominant defensive tackle. A classic two-gap guy who draws double teams and lets the linebackers work.
Special Teams
K: Stephen Curry
A bit undersized and not the most athletic to be a football player, Steph would be a decent kicker.
P: Jalen Brunson
Same here with Brunson, too short and not the most athletic, he would be a decent punter.
Punt Returner: Devin Carter
Fast guy, can definitely make a guy miss.
Kick Returner: Ausar Thompson
Same with Carter, Ausar Thompson, the brother of Amen, could make a guy miss. Fast like his brother, he would turn touches into touchdowns.
Long Snapper: Bam Adebayo
Can he snap a football? I don’t know. He’s a tall guy so he’ll do fine.
Field Goal/Extra Point Blocker: Victor Wembanyama
Tall guy, this is not really a position, but Wemby will block any field goal and extra point in his way.
The NFL Hoopers
Honorable mention: Tyreek Hill
Speed. He’s short, but he’s Tyreek. Who wouldn’t want a guy like him on your team? (Not talking about the legal stuff.) He can also dunk which means he must have a high vertical. A perfect backup. Just a bit too short.
Honorable Mention: Mecole Hardman
Didn’t know he participated in the NBA Celebrity All-Star game. Apparently he played basketball in high school.
*I used New England Patriots’ throwback logo and added a basketball
Starting Lineup
PG: C.J. Stroud
Calm, smooth, and confident with the ball in his hands. Stroud went off in the 2024 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game. His football skills would translate well in the NBA.
SG: Keon Coleman
All I gotta say.
SF: Drake London
Before becoming a first-round pick in the NFL, London was a D1 basketball player at USC, appearing in two games. He’s 6’4”, strong, and has experience. Sure he’s not the regular size of a small forward, but NFL players are shorter than NBA guys.
PF: Myles Garrett
One of the most athletic humans on Earth. Garrett can dunk with ease, and we’ve seen him drop 13 points, 8 rebounds, while dunking 3 times, in an NBA Celebrity All-Star Game. At power forward, he’d bully smaller defenders and finish everything at the rim.
C: Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons is a great football player. He’s also a great basketball player. Not only does he have the speed, and the strength to average 10+ points in a game, but he can dunk with ease due to his crazy athleticism. A player who dropped 37 points in the 2024 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, Parsons showed his skills. At 6’3, he’s incredibly short for a center. In fact, put Dan Skipper here instead. 6’3 is a point guard or maybe a shooting guard’s height. Not a center. However, Parsons does have the center build and is very aggressive.
Backups
SG: Patrick Mahomes
Flashy and confident. Mahomes played excellent basketball during his high school days. Averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, according to MaxPreps.com. He’d be a great leader on the court as well.
SF: D.K. Metcalf
Already showing what he can do at the NBA Celebrity Game, Metcalf is a player who would be a beast on the basketball court. A 6’4” receiver with strength and a vertical that competes with the best of the NBA, Metcalf would be a transition machine. Someone who can get a chase-down block and slam it on the other end.
PG: Puka Nacua
A do-it-all guy, Puka Nacua would be a high-energy floor general. He dropped 16 points in the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game showing off his game.
PG: Joe Burrow
Calm and collected, Joe Burrow would be a true leader on the basketball court. He may not have the flashiest game, but he’s smart and sneaky quick. A player who would find the open man and hit big-time shots when you need them most.
C: Dan Skipper
At 6’9”, Skipper is the tallest NFL player currently. Don’t know if he has any experience playing basketball, but who cares? He’s strong and he’s tall. Perfect center although NBA centers are at least 6’10”.
PG: Cooper Kupp
Like Burrow, Cooper Kupp is a smart player who’d thrive on the court. He’d be a player who’s always in the right place at the right time. I don’t know much about his high-school basketball career, just know that he matched up against Zach LaVine and held him to only four points. Crazy.
PF: Travis Kelce
Kelce would be a strong, skilled forward who brings toughness to the paint. He may not jump out of the gym, but he’ll make the smart play and bully smaller defenders.
SF: Anthony Richardson
A player built like a tank and with elite athleticism, Anthony Richardson would be flying up and down the court. He’s a big, fast wing who can jump with the best of them.
SG: Davante Adams
One of the smoothest route runners in the NFL, Adams would have a similar game on the court. A shooting guard who doesn’t waste motion—efficient, quick, and always under control. He’s dunked before, that’s really the main reason he makes the team.
SG: Jalen Ramsey
A fiery defender, Jalen Ramsey would bring lockdown defense to your backcourt. He’s fast and competitive.
Final Thoughts
Those are my teams! What do you think of them? Is the NBA team better at football or is the NFL team better at basketball? You let me know. Which other players should have made the team? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Personally, I think the NBA Gridiron would be a better team as they are taller guys. It’s incredibly tall athletes playing football, and smaller athletes playing basketball. So it’s kind of wrong to put these guys in the opposite sport. Anyways, there are two football players that could have played in the NBA in my opinion: Patrick Mahomes, and maybe a guy like Parsons or Stroud. For basketball players who could have played in the NFL: Jalen Suggs, LeBron, Zion Williamson, and Anthony Edwards would all be good options for teams.