While Los Angeles Lakers fans wait for the 2022-23 season to begin they can tune into the 2022 NFL season, which just kickstarted this past Sunday. This is a nice distraction for Lakers fans who are sick of hearing about Russell Westbrook and whether or not he will be traded.
Sports often tend to mirror each other, though, and there definitely are some strong comparisons that can be made between players on the Lakers and NFL players. The most comparable athlete to an NBA star is a star quarterback and each notable Lakers player has an NFL quarterback comparison that is uncanny.
Comparing notable Los Angeles Lakers to their NFL quarterback counterparts:
LeBron James is the Los Angeles Lakers’ Tom Brady
Talk about a softball. This is the most obvious comparison there is as both LeBron James and Tom Brady are redefining what we thought we knew about athletes and how long they can play at a very high level. Brady is 45 this season while LeBron is going to turn 38 this December.
Brady has had a bit more success in his later years than LeBron has, though. While both guys won a championship only six months apart, Brady returned to the playoffs the following year and likely will this year. LeBron was bounced out of the first round the following year and missed the playoffs entirely.
Hopefully, LeBron can follow in Brady’s footsteps and still be an MVP-caliber player for the rest of his contract. If the Lakers can get the same LeBron that they got last season for the remainder of his contract then there still is a title window to capitalize on.