Matt Barnes says it is easier for an NBA player to transition to the NFL: "Antonio Gates is a Hall of Famer, but he's a basketball player first"
Matt Barnes was a 6'8" wide receiver in high school and college. And if he didn't make it to the NBA, he probably would've been in the NFL. Barnes told Paul George and his crew at Podcast P that his agent had lined up workouts for six different NFL teams before he got his first NBA contract. Matt couldn't remember them all but said that the Giants, Browns, and Raiders were three of them.
"If you can catch, our athleticism, skill, and instincts like I wouldn't be mad if…once you got hit, I want to see how you reacted once you got popped but before that, I think you'd be straight. I mean you're going to be a skilled guy so most likely you have to catch the ball, you're not going over there to hit. Antonio Gates is a Hall of Famer but he's a basketball player first." claimed Barnes.
Gates was a basketball player first
Antonio Gates is a former NFL star who played the tight end position for the Los Angeles Chargers. Gates was named to 8 Pro Bowls, was a six-time All-Pro selection, and was an NFL 2000s All-Decade Team member.
Prior to his pro football career, Gates was a college basketball star at Kent State. He played power forward for the Golden Flashes and was an honorable mention All-American during his senior season, during which he averaged 20.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
Gates stood 6'4", had good hands, and was a skilled athlete owing to his basketball background. Although he went undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft, he played 16 seasons in the NFL and became one of its best tight ends. Contrary to what Barnes said, he wasn't named to the Hall of Fame this year but is still expected to get in ultimately.
It's harder for an NFL player to transition to the NBA
Last year, George also said that it was easier for NBA stars to make the shift to the NFL than vice versa. PG used the likes of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook as phenomenal athletes who could easily make the move. He also explained why it would be challenging the other way around.
"I don't think a football player could cross over into the NBA. Our game is completely skill," said George. "For me, I think that for an NFL guy to be able to play in the league, they got to be hell of shooters, right? Because otherwise, we're not going to guard you. You can't shoot. That athleticism, that strength—that means nothing if you can't shoot the ball in our league,"
Despite Barnes' and PG's claims, only Mark Vital has been able to play in both the NBA and NFL, and nobody even remembers it. Young NBA stars like Zion Williamson and Anthony Edwards have been labeled athletic enough to make the NFL. But considering how much money they make in the NBA, we will never know if they can. Still, because of that, the debate will continue.
