A Super Bowl Roster Made up of NBA Players

The NBA has some of the best athletes on the planet.

The combination of speed, size, length, quickness, and dexterity that pro ballers have isn’t basketball-specific, either. In fact, many NBA players were three-sport stars in high school and had major D1 offers for football.

We’ve seen Michael Jordan take the hardwood and baseball diamond, and Deion Sanders excel on the turf and on the plate. But we’ve never seen an athlete make the switch between the NBA and NFL, or vice versa.

There are certainly a handful of NBA players right now who could hypothetically play in the NFL. Some positions are more translatable than others, though. It’s hard to imagine any NBA players making very good linemen or linebackers, for that matter.

Despite this, we’re going to field a full team of active NBA players. Can we assemble a team of basketball players to compete for a Super Bowl?

Offense

Offensive line: Kenny Lofton, Brook Lopez, Ivica Zubac, Jusuf Nurkic, Andre Drummond

You just need the biggest bodies here.

QB1: Nikola Jokic

Jokic would be an absolute gunslinger. He’s got the height to scan downfield and the vision to dissect the secondary.

QB2: LaMelo Ball

Think of the Lamar Jackson archetype. LaMelo would be a problem outside the pocket, a weapon in the open field, and the master of audibles. His creativity would make him a nightmare for opposing defenses.

WR1: Kawhi Leonard

Size. Hands. Strength. Kawhi has all the tools of an ELITE wideout. He’s the same height as Megatron, with hands that span almost a foot in size. Just throw it up, and he’ll come down with it.

WR2: Pat Spencer

Some of you *cough* casuals might be reading this thinking, “Who the hell is Pat Spencer!?”

The Warriors’ guard was a college lacrosse legend, winning the lacrosse equivalent of the Heisman trophy.

He was drafted first overall in the 2019 Premier Lacrosse League Draft, but after dominating the sport, he decided to give basketball another chance. As a grad student, he joined Northwestern, playing competitive basketball for the first time since high school.

That’s right. He didn’t play basketball for five years. And then five years after turning down the Premier Lacrosse League, he made the NBA. That kind of cross-sport athleticism simply cannot be taught. And anyone capable of switching from turf to hardwood can surely make the switch back to turf.

Slot receiver: Kyrie Irving

Kyrie is athletic enough to play just about anywhere in the secondary, but the slot seems like the best fit for his talents.

TE: LeBron James

LeBron could have picked just about any athletic endeavor he wanted and been one of the best all-time at it.

But football almost seems like a guarantee. At 6’9″, 250, with the frame to put on more weight, Bron could’ve been an all-time tight end.

He was heavily recruited to play football by schools across the country, with Urban Meyer even showing up to St. Vincent St. Mary’s High School to try to convince LeBron to ditch the hardwood for the turf.

During the 2011 lockout, Jerry Jones and Pete Carroll offered LeBron a chance to play in the NFL.

Take a look at his high school highlights, and you can see what could have been if LeBron had taken a different path.

RB: Anthony Edwards

Ant is another one of the “good at anything he tries” type of athletes.

Back in 2019, he told SBNation “I could have been a professional football player… I was really good. I was the No. 1 running back in the country at 9 or 10. I stopped playing because I seen my brothers playing basketball. I thought it looked more fun.”

Imagine Derrick Henry with a 40-inch vertical. Ant would be one of the tallest RBs in league history with the hurdling chops of Saquon Barkley.

Defense

Noseguard: Zion Williamson

Zion may be the only player to receive a Division One scholarship without playing a down.

That’s right. The LSU offensive line coach Eric Mateos offered Zion a full ride after seeing his basketball highlight tape. Mateos told ESPN, “I thought, hell, why not, he’s probably the best damn tight end to ever live,” in reference to Zion’s physical ability.

For the sake of this all-NBA team, Zion makes the most sense as a nose guard. The size, strength, and obscene quickness will make him a nightmare to block.

Defensive guards/tackles: Naz Reid and Draymond Green

Two things you want in the trenches: size and motor. Naz Reid and Draymond offer a rare combination of strength, grit, mobility, and a relentless passion for the game. That’s exactly what you need to stop the run game and put pressure on the quarterback.

Defensive ends:  Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon

Size and mobility are the name of the game here once again. These are guys that can get off the edge quick but still have the strength to deal with tackles and tight ends.

LBs: Dillon Brooks, Marcus Smart, Jimmy Butler

Inspired by Ray Lewis, this squad’s linebackers should have a bit of a mean streak. All of these guys are used to playing the “villain” role and thrive in it. They embody the “win at all costs” mentality and are exactly the guys you want stuffing the gaps.

Cornerbacks: Jrue Holiday & Derrick White

The Celtics’ backcourt will make the perfect cornerback tandem. With incredible strength for their size and championship chemistry, the NBA’s best defensive backcourt might be able to hold its own against NFL wideouts.

Safeties: Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Isaac

It’s all about length and IQ here. Good luck throwing over the top on these wingspans.

Nickelback: Herb Jones

Herb Jones is the epitome of a defensive specialist. He’s the guy you bring in on 3rd down to force a punt or ball-hawk for an interception.

Special Teams

Kick/punter returner: Ja Morant

Ja may as well be Devin Hester reincarnated in basketball form. His speed rating on 2k is tied for fourth overall, and his vertical jump rating is tied for fifth overall. He’s also tied for third overall in passing vision.

Between speed, quickness, and vision, Ja is the ideal candidate to field both punts and kickoffs.

Designated XP/FG blocker: Victor Wembanyama

Imagine Wemby coming off the edge with his inspector gadget limbs. Absolutely no field goal is safe.

Kicker: Draymond Green

No explanation needed.