Pelicans All-Star forward Zion Williamson has the size, physique and athleticism that match those of an NFL player.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson laughed at the question. He then answered it just as quickly as he charges into the lane for a slam dunk.
Which NBA player would excel the most in the NFL? Following a few chuckles, Williamson pointed at himself.
“That’s the only answer,” Williamson said. “If my name is not mentioned in that (poll), then that person doesn’t watch football.”
Based on an informal survey, most NBA players follow the NFL closely. It’s a stretch to think an NFL team consisting of all NBA players could compete against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. But a handful of NBA players expressed optimism that an NFL team filled with basketball players could be at least entertaining and competitive.
Most chose Williamson and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for their team, and at various skill positions. Not surprising. Williamson (6-foot-6, 284 pounds) and James (6-foot-9, 260 pounds) have bullied opponents with their brute strength and athleticism. Both Williams and James competed on the gridiron at the prep level, too.
“I stopped playing football when I got to middle school because I fell in love with basketball. So far, it’s working out,” Williamson said with a grin. “I only played football and soccer because my friends played it. But with basketball, I decided to play year-round. I didn’t have the body I had back then. I was a lot skinnier then, believe it or not.”
Below is a sampling from various NBA players on what their All-NFL team with NBA players would look like.
Editor’s note: The following answers have been edited and condensed.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson
I would say me, Jimmy Butler and Jrue Holiday. Jrue would be crazy. He would be like Sean Taylor — a linebacker playing safety. Jimmy Butler would be a cold receiver. You can throw me at receiver or at tight end. I’m a Swiss Army knife. It’s just a matter of where you need me that game. But I would prefer to play at tight end or receiver.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis
Everybody says ’Bron [LeBron James]. He’d be a nice tight end. He could be one of the leaders of the [Green Bay] Packers right now. I know he’s not in the league, but Rajon Rondo would be QB because he’s a really good passer and knows the game. I don’t think anyone in the league could be a running back. That’s tough. But at wide receiver, there are a lot of guys. I could be receiver. I just wouldn’t go across the middle. I would run fly routes and red zone targets. I could only play with the Packers (my favorite team).
Utah Jazz guard/forward Talen Horton-Tucker
LeBron and Zion, probably. They are super athletes. LeBron would probably be a big tight end. Zion would be a defensive end. LeBron would be a big target to throw the ball. Zion would be somebody that would try to blitz you and sack you. There are not too many other guys that come to mind. The guys with speed could be good wide receivers. Ja [Morant] and Russ [Russell Westbrook] are freak athletes.
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro
I would play at quarterback. Jimmy [Butler] would be good at wide receiver. Bam [Adebayo] would be good at tight end or defensive end. He could play both sides, if he wanted. We don’t have any offensive linemen on our team. But with us three, we’d run a little read option. I can run and throw. We would play a spread offense at high tempo. With Jimmy, I could just throw it up and he would catch everything.
Tyler Herro is confident he and teammate Jimmy Butler would shine on the football field.
LA Clippers guard Reggie Jackson
LeBron! He’s 6-foot-9, and 260 [pounds] and coming at you like a Mack truck. Donovan Mitchell would be good because he’s very explosive. A lot of the explosive guards and forwards could definitely play or have a chance. But I don’t want to disrespect the NFL players. LeBron would be a receiver or a tight end. Donovan would be a hell of a receiver. He’s very, very explosive.
Dallas Mavericks forward Markieff Morris
My brother [Marcus Morris Sr.] was a good quarterback in high school. At tight end? For sure, me. On the defensive end, I would say Zion and Steven Adams. At fullback, I would say [Russell] Westbrook. At running back, I would say De’Aaron Fox since he’s quick. At wide receiver, I’m going with LeBron and Kevin [Durant]. At slot, I would go with Ja Morant. It all seems like we can play football. We’re all athletic. I wasn’t super athletic, but I was tall. I had good feet and good hands. Same thing with my brother. He was better than me. He could move. He played running back and quarterback, so he could throw and run.
Markieff Morris (left) and Marcus Morris Sr. both agree on which 1 of them would be the better football player.
LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr.
I think I would be a good quarterback. I used to play in high school, and I was nice. My brother would be a beautiful tight end like Jason Witten. Paul George would be a good receiver because he has good footwork. Kawhi [Leonard] would be a crazy receiver because his hands are so big. Ja Morant would be a crazy slot receiver. LeBron James would be like Calvin Johnson. Eric Bledsoe would be at tailback. He’s pretty quick. I would put Patrick Beverley at safety. He would come down and lock it up. On the O-line, Luka Garza would be my starting guard and Ivica Zubac would be at center. All of these guys have good basketball skills that can transfer into football. There is a direct correlation in both sports with footwork, vision, athleticism and decision-making. PG has some crazy footwork.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV
I would be the guy. I used to average seven touchdowns a game when I was younger. Football was my No. 1 sport. If you need a touchdown, just throw it up to me. Throw it up in the air. Wherever it’s at, I got it. The scouting report on me was, ‘Can we stop Lonnie?’ First play of the game: touchdown. Second play of the game: touchdown. Third play of the game: touchdown. I was that dude. I was a running back, kick returner and punt returner. I did everything. Once I touched that ball, I was too fast and too quick for everyone. I didn’t like getting hit.
LeBron is a super athlete. He could be a wide receiver, tight end, safety, cornerback, it doesn’t matter. The dude could do everything. He could be a Megatron (Calvin Johnson) wide receiver. He’d be too big, too strong and too athletic. What are you going to do with him? It’s almost impossible since cornerbacks are not that tall. Ja Morant would be ridiculous at wide receiver. Russ [Russell Westbrook] would be a running back. He’s Adrian Peterson. Zion would be unstoppable. You could put Zion at almost any position. He’s so strong. He would be a tight end, not a linebacker. He has more of an offensive game. He’s not defensive-oriented.
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk
At running back, Davion Mitchell. He’d be like Christian McCaffrey. I would be a receiver. I would bring everything – speed, ability to catch the ball and athleticism. At tight end, LeBron [James] would bring the same thing. My O-linemen would be Domas [Domantas Sabonis], [Jonas] Valančiūnas and [Nikola] Vucevic. They’re powerful, big and strong. They’d get everybody out of the way. At quarterback, I can’t pick anybody. That’s a hard job to do.
LA Clippers forward Norman Powell
LeBron [James], Russ [Westbrook]. Dennis Smith Jr., Robert Covington, myself, Zion [Williamson], Julius Randle. I’d be at wide receiver. I can jump and have big hands. UCLA’s football team wanted me to play wide receiver for them in college, but that was over with. I just wanted to hoop. I don’t know the position breakdown for everyone else. But we have good build physically and have the right mentality. In football, you have to be strong and fast. All of these guys have that body frame and ability to excel on the football field.
Several players cited Russell Westbrook as someone who would thrive in the NFL.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr.
Russ [Russell Westbrook] has top-end speed and would be really hard to keep up with. Ja [Morant] and De’Aaron [Fox] are the fastest guys in the league. So they’re matchup nightmares through all skills positions. With Zion [Williamson]? Put him on the field in any position, and he’ll figure it out.
Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant
Lu Dort is strong as hell. LeBron [James] can be one. OG Anunoby can be an NFL player. He’s strong as hell, too. Chris Paul could be a quarterback. Dort is a linebacker. LeBron is a wide receiver. OG Anunoby is the free safety. That’s an unstoppable team. They can just go out there and play. Since Anunoby is one of the league leaders in steals, he would be a great free safety. LeBron, with his size and speed, would be a great wide receiver. Chris Paul is a great point guard in the league, so he can be a great quarterback. Dort is strong and can shift side-to-side. He could be a running back or an outside linebacker because he can rush out there. AD [Anthony Davis] might be my tight end. He could run a full-coverage slant route.
Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes
I would have [Nikola] Jokic as my QB. I would have Zion somewhere out there at any position. I’d have Davion [Mitchell] as my running back. I’d have De’Aaron [Fox] out there. I’d have LeBron [James] as my wide receiver. I’d have Julius Randle at tight end. I’d have Isaiah Stewart on the O-line. We’re going to be physical. We have a high IQ QB and a guy who can make plays.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson
At QB, myself. At running back, Tyrese Maxey. I chased him on a fast-break two years ago and thought I had no chance. At wide receiver, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Edwards. They’re fast, big strong and can catch. At tight end, Grant Williams and Zion Williamson. At left tackle, Steven Adams. At right tackle, Jonas Valančiūnas. At center, Xavier Tillman. At guards, Isaiah Stewart and Udonis Haslem. We’ll have a West Coast offense. We’re going to spread it out and sling that thing.
* * *
Mark Medina is a senior writer/analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery Sport
