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Eli Manning is one of the most decorated quarterbacks of his generation. The 16-year pro was the ultimate Iron Man with the New York Giants, playing 210 consecutive regular-season games, the third-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history. During this time, Manning made four Pro Bowls and finished his career ranked 7th all-time in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Despite the regular season success, the postseason was where Eli cemented his legacy, leading the Giants to two almost improbable Super Bowl titles. New York had to beat several incredible teams on the path to these two Lombardi trophies in 2008 and 2012, including the New England Patriots. The Giants' 17-14 victory over the 18–0 Patriots is considered among the greatest upsets in professional sports history. And in both of these title clashes, Eli Manning was named Super Bowl MVP. The New Orleans native ultimately is more qualified than anyone to talk about the sport of football, and he was recently asked about which NBA stars could've been NFL stars. For this topic, two basketball immortals immediately came to Eli's mind. Eli Manning named the two NBA legends who would've been successful in the NFL During an interview on the “Roommates” podcast with New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, Manning was asked to name five basketball players who could succeed in the NFL. Eli only mentioned two NBA legends in his response, but Allen Iverson and LeBron James are fantastic picks considering their athletic backgrounds. “I saw LeBron play a little high school football. I think when you…have a 6’7, 260-pound guy, like, you’ll probably find a spot for him to play the receiver or put him at free safety or something, he’s got some range…Just going old school, like an Allen Iverson…I remember seeing Allen Iverson playing some high school football. You don’t have to have a very specific skill. It’s not like you have to run a thousand routes. Like, if you can run and if you can jump or you have some physicality to you, we can find a spot for you on a football field somewhere. You’ve got to have a little toughness to you, and if you have the work mentality, we can work those things out.” Allen Iverson and LeBron James are two of the NBA's most transcendent athletes of all time. Despite being only 6 feet tall and 165 pounds, the Philadelphia 76ers' legendary guard was renowned for his exceptional speed, fearlessness, and trademark crossover. And Iverson, himself, was a decorated high school football player at Bethel High School. The Hampton, Virginia native was a quarterback, cornerback, and kick returner in high school, leading his team to a Division AAA Virginia State Championship. Iverson was subsequently named Associated Press High School Player of the Year and recruited by the likes of Notre Dame and Maryland before a high school incident caused him to focus directly on basketball. Meanwhile, James played just two years of high school football at St. Vincent-St. Mary, earning first-team All-Ohio honors as a wide receiver in both his sophomore and junior years. As Manning states, LeBron certainly has the physical traits to be a successful NFL wide receiver and tight end, similar to players like Jimmy Graham or Antonio Gates. Nonetheless, both James and Iverson certainly made the right career decisions, especially when considering their long-term health. There are other stars who might hear Manning's take and have a thing or two to say, such as Jimmy Butler III and Anthony Edwards, based on comments these two NBA stars have made in the past. But even with those guys in mind, James and Iverson are certainly the two first names that should come to mind, considering their football backgrounds.
