LeBron Wants to Pass Like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers

LeBron James’s passion for football is well known, and the three-time NBA champion has revealed that he sees himself as a quarterback on the court.

The three-time NBA champion is averaging a career-high 9.2 assists per game this season and added another 11 on Monday, as the Cleveland Cavaliers won 123-109 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to clinch their 50th of this season

James’s ability to improve his teammates has long been heralded as one of his greatest assets, and he says he draws inspiration from how some of the great NFL quarterbacks involve their teammates in the game.

“Just try to put [the ball] on time and on target to my guys,” James told Fox Sports Ohio.

“Whether it’s a layup, a three or on the break, [my teammates] are cutting and moving. They do a great job of setting screens. My job is to be Tom Brady, be Peyton Manning, be Aaron Rodgers, be Drew Brees—that’s my job. All [my teammates] have to do is catch and run.”

Last night @KingJames' quarterbacking skills were on full display as he tallied 11 assists along with his 26 points.

LeBron on how he uses Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as inspiration. #AllForOne pic.twitter.com/GTJgEsg51M

— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) April 10, 2018

Even more impressively, averaging a career-best in assists has not prevented James from finding the basket himself.

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The four-time MVP is averaging 27.7 points per game this season—ranking third overall in the league—and it’s the first time he’s averaged more than 27 points per game since the 2011-12 campaign.

Back then, in his second season in Miami, James scored 27.1 points per game, but this year is his most productive year since the 2009-10 season.

Despite his outstanding efforts, the Cavs will not end the regular season among the top two teams in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2014. However, a win in their regular season finale against the Knicks on Wednesday would see Cleveland equal last year’s 51-31 record. 

With Monday's win, however, the Cavs clinched the Central Division title, meaning James has now won 10 divisional titles in a row, the first player in the history of the league to do so.

.@KingJames is now the only player in NBA history to win 10 straight division titles. ? pic.twitter.com/IJNo1InfEb

— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) April 10, 2018