LeBron James contemplated leaving football during his sophomore year, but Aaliyah's untimely death inspired him to embrace life fearlessly

Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that LeBron James contemplated leaving football during his sophomore year, but Aaliyah's untimely death inspired him to embrace life fearlessly.

Going into his junior year he was not going to play football again, but suddenly appeared in the second game of the season for the Irish and played all season to the surprise (and dismay) of many in the NBA world. Recently, new clips of LeBron dominating on the gridiron resurfaced and it became a discussion on ESPN’s NBA Today, with plenty of current NBA fans wondering why he played such a risky sport. Brian Windhorst explained the reason James played football that season was because of Aaliyah’s tragic death in a plane crash that gave James a new perspective on pursuing his passions.

Before being the best basketball prospect on earth by the time he was a sophomore in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary, Lebron James also had a love of football, which had basketball folks rather terrified he would get an injury that would derail his promising future in hoops.

Going into his junior year he was not going to play football again, but suddenly appeared in the second game of the season for the Irish and played all season to the surprise (and dismay) of many in the NBA world.

Brian Windhorst explained the reason James played football that season was because of Aaliyah’s tragic death in a plane crash that gave James a new perspective on pursuing his passions.

Appearing Wednesday on "NBA Today," the ESPN reporter Windhorst went viral for his revelation about the Los Angeles Lakers star James. During a segment about multi-sport NBA players, Windhorst noted how James had played football in high school as a wide receiver. Windhorst said James was about to quit football after his sophomore year but changed his mind after R&B singer Aaliyah died in a plane crash.

“You know why he played football?” Windhorst said. “Because of Aaliyah. He was gonna stop playing after his sophomore year, and then Aaliyah, one of his favorite singers, died in that plane crash, and he decided that he was not gonna live his life being afraid. So, Aaliyah’s passing got him to come off the sidelines — he had skipped the start of his junior year, he missed the first game of the year. He joined the second game with no practice, no training camp, he played 12 games, had 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns, and was one of the great receivers in the history of the school.”