LeBron James has made his feelings clear on Micah Parsons after the NFL star was traded by the Dallas Cowboys.
Defensive end Parsons was sent to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round picks for 2026 and 2027, and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
According to the Associated Press via those with knowledge of the situation, Parsons has signed a $136m guaranteed four-year contract with the Packers, out of potential $188m earnings.
The 26-year-old was a 12th-round draft pick when he was acquired by the Cowboys in 2021, and was subsequently named as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
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He was twice named in the All-Pro first team in 2021 and 2022, and has played in the league's Pro Bowl game on four occasions.
Parsons is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history and will hope to help the Packers reach the Super Bowl for the fifth time in their history and for the first time since 2010.
Speaking on an Instagram Live in October 2023, NBA legend James made his feelings clear on Parsons.
He compared him to former linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who won the Super Bowl twice in 1986 and 1990 and was named in the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.
James explained: "Micah Parsons is a flat-out beast. Keep going, kid. It's like watching Lawrence Taylor again, the way you play with that speed and that velocity and that strength, and that passion. It's like watching LT all over again."
James - who has, coincidentally, been linked with a move to Dallas with the Mavericks NBA franchise in recent months - was previously a fan of the Cowboys.
He claimed, however, that he had to switch allegiances after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he would not support any player who kneeled during the US national anthem as a form of protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
"Guys were having freedom of speech and wanting to do it in a very peaceful manner," James said. "The organisation was like, 'If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again'. I just didn't think that was appropriate."
Topics: NFL, NBA, Lebron James, American Football, United States
Ryan Smart