LeBron James, From the Hardwood to the Grid Iron?

With the NBA currently in a lockout much like the NFL was for four and a half months before finally striking a deal in late July, some players have already begun seeking work elsewhere. While free-agent Delonte West who last played for the Boston Celtics is trying his luck like many other Americans by applying at his local Home Depot, other players have already signed to play ball overseas in countries like Turkey, Italy and Greece among others. LeBron James, however, is considering an alternative route.

The Akron native has had a lot of free time on his hands this offseason which has allowed him to make use of his extended vacation. Instead of hitting the court with his Miami teammates in preparation of the upcoming season, King James has hit the Twitter feed in search of a new hobby. And though he's joked about it in the past, the rumors of the two-time league MVP trading in his sneakers for a pair of cleats are once again surfacing with the recent developments that are threatening the possibility of a 2011-2012 NBA season taking place. NBA Commissioner David Stern made what was first thought to be a fantasy among sports enthusiasts become a little more realistic this past week when he announced to the public that the first two weeks of the NBA's regular season have been cancelled due to the continued bumping of heads between the league office and the Player's Association.

Having been named first-team all-state as a wide receiver during his sophomore year in high school, James is no stranger to the game of football. And if anything could help him restore his image in the city that has despised him since ditching the state he grew up in for the sandy beaches of Florida, it's playing for the Cleveland Browns. Then again putting on a helmet and pads and taking hits on the grid iron would also be a good way to put an early end to his Hall of Fame campaign in basketball. For that very reason I would call it a long shot. Besides, I highly doubt LeBron who's arguably the most criticized player to ever step foot on the hardwood would like to add yet another thing to his resume that people can scrutinize him on.

The talk of LeBron playing football again was brought up on Tuesday when he tweeted ESPN's NFL insider John Clayton, asking him when the deadline for an NFL team to sign a free agent was. Following Clayton's response, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll jumped in the discussion and began lobbying for James by sending him a photo of a customized Seahawks jersey with his name on it. It's too bad for Carroll that James wasn't a former quarterback during his playing days as his 1-4 team could definitely use an upgrade in the QB department with both Tavaris Jackson and backup Charlie Whitehurst struggling to say the least. But if such a move were to happen it would have to be done before 4 p.m. on Tuesday which coincidentally is a key date for progress to be made regarding the NBA labor negotiations.

According to Commissioner Stern, if nothing is worked out before then it could very well threaten a slew of games scheduled to be played on Christmas which just so happens to be one of the biggest dates on the NBA calendar as watching basketball on Christmas has become just as synonymous with the holiday as opening presents. For both the sake of the fans and the sake of the league, let's hope a labor agreement can be made in the next couple of days. Since taking his talents to South Beach in July of 2010, LeBron James has been public enemy number one not only in his native state of Ohio, but in many parts of the country. And I'm sure I speak for a large group of people when I say there's nothing I'd like to see more than King James being leveled by players like Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis who are among the hardest hitters in the NFL.

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NBA Lockout means Rock Bottom to some

Despite the NBA being only two months into the offseason plagued by a lockout, those familiar with the work stoppage have already noted that they don't see an agreement being made any time soon. But with their counterparts in the NFL finally reaching a mutual agreement to their CBA some four and a half months later, you would have to think there's the slightest bit of optimism in the air, right? Those closest to the source, however, would tell otherwise and believe the lockout could last until the start of the regular season in November or worse, last beyond Christmas like it did in '98, if not threaten the entire 2011-2012 season which is very much likely.

How much worse is the NBA's lockout than that of the NFL's? Due to the demands of the players and owners being so far apart from one another, players have already began seeking an alternative for work. While most players have considered playing ball overseas in China and Turkey among other places, former Celtics point guard Delonte West is among those who aren't as fortunate. After being busted by police in September of 2009 for riding his 3-wheeled motorcycle around with a guitar case which had three firearms inside including a 9mm pistol, a court ruling by the judge will prevent West from leaving the country to join those who plan on flocking to play ball elsewhere until the lockout ends.

With basketball no longer an option, the D.C. native has instead resorted to filling out job applications like many other struggling Americans during this tough recession. His place of choice? The Home Depot as he mentioned via his Twitter account. Though it doesn't quite remind us of the situation Malik Rose was in during the NBA lockout of 1998-1999 when he was forced to move back in with his parents, it does show shades of former bad boy and current Lakers forward Ron Artest who filled out an application for a part-time job at Circuit City in order to get an employee discount during his time with the Bulls. Not only am I curious to see if Delonte knows a thing or two about wallpaper, but I'd also like to know which of his teammates he put down on his reference list.

West isn't the only one seeking work stateside this offseason as Lakers small forward Luke Walton plans to take an alternative route from the home improvement department by joining the University of Memphis' coaching staff as an assistant if the lockout continues.