Former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton is convinced that the toughness of the NBA cannot be compared to the toughness of the NFL, and he used Warriors star Draymond Green as an example to support your argument.
Speaking on his latest podcast “4th & 1,” Newton explained his reasoning for why playing on the gridiron requires a level of courage that can’t be found in even the toughest of NBA players, mentioning performance of Green in the 2011 Michigan State football championship spring game to prove a point.
“It’s a different type of difficult sport, it’s a contact sport,” Newton said. “Man, they would unblock you.
“(I’ve seen) this shot, (and) I couldn’t wait to talk about it, but (we saw) what Draymond Green was doing, a ‘tough guy’ in the NBA, and granted, that was when Michigan State really wasn’t very good. Let’s leave it for a dollar.”
At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, there’s no question whether Green has the build for both the field and the field, something the forward demonstrated more than 10 years ago when he wore jersey No. 83 and lined up at tight end for the Spartans.
For Newton, however, it’s not just a specific build that’s needed to succeed in the NFL.
“Now, when I talk about if LeBron could play at Alabama, if Zion (Williamson) could play at Alabama, could some of those guys, like Anthony Edwards, play in a Power 5 SEC and be a threat?” Newton added. “I’m talking about someone you have to prepare for.
“Now, these people are 6 feet 7 inches or taller. I don’t even know if LeBron would play receiver, let’s put it that way. His body structure is what Jadeveon Clowney is, it’s what JJ Watt is. Do you see what I’m saying?
In Green’s only appearance on the field, the four-time NBA champion was called for a false start on his first play and got stuck at the line (but received a pass interference penalty) on his second.
It may not have been Green’s best first (and only) impression on a football field, but, in the end, he attempted to become a two-sport athlete at Michigan State like very few others, which Newton believes would have been impossible in the professional level. level.
“What I’ll tell you is there aren’t 30 basketball players that can come into the National Football League and be a threat, they can play, but we’re talking about a threat,” Newton said.
“I also agree with you in saying that there are definitely not 30 football players that can come into the NBA and be a threat, not a player, could they be part of a team? Yeah.”
Now, with an illustrious career (filled with many difficult and tense moments) under his belt, Green can afford to give his football career a second chance and prove Newton wrong.
After all, he is known for wanting to prove that he is one of the few bad boys left in the NBA.
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