The NFL vs. NBA debate is getting bigger with each passing day, and the latest to get into the debate is Jalen Brunson.
"Can players in the NBA play in the NFL?" Does NFL talent have access to the NBA? Jalen Brunson, a Philadelphia Eagles fan and star guard for the New York Knicks, attempted to address some of the most pressing questions from fans and even some players on Monday Night Football with former center Jason Kelce of the Eagles.
Jalen Brunson was obviously not making fun of NFL players in front of Eagles legend Jason Kelce—especially not on Monday Night Football. But he makes the point that some NBA players' skills might be easier to apply to other sports, like football. Nevertheless, some people have responded to the All-Star guard's remarks online.
The account BestOdds.com (@BestOddsBets) warned NBA players about trying to guard Jason Kelce driving in for a layup.
Meanwhile, an X user named @Oliver_Bennett_ echoed the same sentiment, but in reverse.
NFL players have previously competed at a high level in basketball, despite the remarks made by fans. To start, the illustrious Terrell Owens attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to play basketball for his college education.
LeBron James, on the other hand, was formerly Ohio's top football prospect during his high school years. James was also extended a contract offer by the Dallas Cowboys during the 2011 season, which was cut short by the lockout. It's also true that if Brunson were to step onto the field, NFL players would probably trample him.
Despite a disappointing playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers in their previous season, Jalen Brunson's Knicks are poised for an exciting 2024 campaign. By acquiring Mikal Bridges, the team can score points while giving the lanky Boston Celtics more length to work with and disrupt guards like Tyrese Haliburton.
The Celtics' championship team is still together, though, and they have the crucial title experience. Paul George has been added by the Philadelphia 76ers as well. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Orlando Magic are primed to make a deep playoff run. The Eastern Conference appears to be gradually catching up, even though it is still weaker than the West.
Brunson's Eagles Prediction Falls Short
Stepping just a stone's throw away from Wells Fargo Center, where the Villanova alum has both charmed and tortured the Philadelphia faithful, Brunson took to the Lincoln Financial Field turf to make his prediction for Monday's game. Energized by former Eagles center-turned-ESPN analyst Jason Kelce, Brunson obviously predicted a Philadelphia victory, but got rather ambitious.
“Birds by 50!” Kelce declared, rendering Brunson, clad in a jersey repping the name and number of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, nearly speechless. “Ditto that!” he mustered, hoping to see Philadelphia remain in the ranks of the NFL's unbeatens two weeks into the season.
Alas for Brunson, Philadelphia failed to fulfill he and Kelce's shared prophecy: the Eagles were on the wrong end of the last of seven lead changes as Atlanta earned a narrow 22-21 victory to close out Week 2. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins found Drake London for the necessary winning score with 34 seconds remaining before Jessie Bates' interception of Hurts sealed the deal.
The Eagles' loss in their 2024 home opener is the latest heartbreaker staged at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex: while the National League-leading Phillies are bound for MLB's postseason, the 76ers were eliminated by Brunson and the Knicks in the opening round of last spring's NBA playoffs. Brunson had 41 points in the closing victory at Wells Fargo Center, which also serves as the part-time home of Villanova's men's basketball team.
Brunson's Love for the Eagles
Brunson's love of the Eagles is likely viewed as more than forgivable by the large middle of the Knicks-New York Giants fan Venn diagram thanks to his on-court contributions and horrifying state of Big Blue, who dropped a 21-18 decision to Josh Hart's beloved Washington Commanders on Sunday. With that loss, the Giants are the only winless team among the NFC East quartet, which also features the Dallas Cowboys.
Philadelphia (1-1) perhaps wishes they could have Brunson's confidence and offensive mastery on the field next week: the Eagles are back on the road for Week 3, as they'll face the streaking New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, Fox). New Orleans (2-0) put up 91 points over its first two games, including 44 alone in a blowout win over the Cowboys on Sunday.
Brunson's NBA Take: NFL or NBA
“I would say it's easier for an NBA guy to play in the NFL. I'm not saying it's easy, it's easier. If you were guarding the pick-and-roll... I played (football) for two years when I was a kid and I realized this was not for me.”
Brunson has parroted a statement we have seen a lot of NBA players make in recent seasons. It seems NBA players widely believe they could be in the NFL if they chose that as their primary sport given the wicked athleticism of many top NBA players. While Brunson himself might not be a perfect fit to be a footballer, players like LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, and Anthony Edwards would look like they belong on a football field.
We have never seen a multi-sport professional athlete between the NBA and NFL, because both sports would be extremely challenging to play at the highest level. Nonetheless, Edwards made it clear last season that he hopes to become the first two-sport athlete between the NBA and NFL.
“I think I might be the first one. I will try. First, I gotta handle my business in the NBA. As a team, the Minnesota organization, we want to win a championship. After that, we'll figure it out.”
Realistically, no NBA player could be competitive in the NFL right now after spending decades training for basketball. It's a different ballgame if we consider football at the high school or college level, which many NBA players have dabbled in as multi-sport athletes.
What Brunson said is not a hot take among NBA circles, with multiple players recently making similar statements that dismiss the caliber of NFL players in the NBA while claiming over 20 NBA players could be productive members of NFL rosters.
Rivers cited the NBA's cultural appeal as one of the main reasons players who are good at basketball pursue that sport instead of also trying to make it to the NFL.
“I can take 30 players right now in the NBA and throw them in the NFL. You cannot take 30 NFL players and put them in the NBA. There's a reason why hip-hop artists, when they rap, they compare themselves to ballers. They're not talking about footballers. They're talking about basketball players.”
DeMat DeRozan also recently discussed how a conversation with Alex Caruso led to him realizing that around 30 NBA players could be in the NFL if they focused on it.
“We got 30 players in the league. I said, man, I can name about 10 right now that could play in the NFL... Over the next couple of days, I started seeing everybody else you know comment and everything. I think basketball players can almost do anything if you give us two to three months to prepare for it... I think we have about 20 people in our league that can play in the NFL.”
This debate will rage on, but I am inclined to agree with the NBA stars given the biggest barrier to entry to the NBA is on-ball skill and shooting ability, traits which take longer to perfect than an NBA player running NFL routes. But the danger of taking massive physical hits doesn't exist in the NBA, so that adjustment alone could make it harder for the NBA stars.
Jalen Brunson's Prediction: A Tale of Two Birds
The Philadelphia Eagles held their regular season home opener on Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons, and the entire Delaware Valley region was hyped up to see their favorite birds take on another avian-themed team, the Atlanta Falcons. While NBA star Jalen Brunson is looking to lead the New York Knicks to a world championship, his heart is still with the Delaware Valley area, and he was on hand at Lincoln Financial Field for Monday’s contest, per ClutchPoints.
Jalen Brunson in the building for the Eagles’ home opener vs. the Falcons 🔥 (via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/wxCasXTAdG — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 17, 2024...
Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce had a lighthearted but respectful discussion with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson about what would happen if NBA and NFL players swapped sports. Both agreed that the NBA is tougher, but not before cracking a few jokes.
Kelce, who played center in the NFL, joined Jalen Brunson on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown before the Falcons-Eagles game.
As Jalen Brunson explained why the NBA is more challenging, mentioning how difficult it is to guard the pick and roll, Kelce jokingly interrupted:
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Kelce then admitted the athleticism in the NBA is at another level.
This wasn’t Kelce’s first time praising the NBA. Back in May, he shared his belief that NBA star LeBron James could thrive in the NFL.
Kendrick Perkins made a bold prediction for the upcoming NBA season, saying the New York Knicks could have the best record in the entire league, pointing to the positive energy and strong team chemistry within the squad.
According to ESPN BET, the Knicks are projected to win 53.5 games this season. Last year, they finished with a 50-32 record, the second-best in the Eastern Conference.
Perkins also predicted that Jalen Brunson will have an even better season than before. In 2023-24, Brunson averaged 28.7 points, 6.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds, earning his first All-Star appearance.
Brunson recently signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension with the Knicks, leaving $113 million on the table to help the team maintain financial flexibility for the future.
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