If LeBron James was given 1 calendar year to train with the best instructors in Hockey, do you think he could make an NHL roster?

Kyle

I feel like LeBron's strategy in basketball is to charge down the middle of the lane at breakneck speed and if someone so much as breathes on him, complain for a foul. He would not be able to use that play style in hockey, as someone would either hit him, or swipe the puck from him. I don't blame him personally, as the NBA has been so pro-offense, to the point where defense almost no longer exists. However, the point is that they are two very different sports, with very different play styles. There's really no way to predict what would happen.

Leafsfan29-Embrace the drought!

No. Not in five years. Or ten. Why? 1) Skating. People that don't understand hockey think skating is easy because guys in the NHL make it look easy. They make it look easy because they work on it year-round, including during summer months. Every team has a powerskating coach. The best skaters in the league are so because they work at it. Even if you put him on the wing (easiest position to play skating wise) with a year's experience he's nowhere close. The worst player in the NHL is still a very good skater; in short, there aren't any bad skaters. Go look at the summer training videos from guys like PK Subban or Mitch Marner. It's incredibly good edge control, and being able to accelerate from a backwards crossover is very difficult. 2) Shooting. Skating is hard. Being able to shoot the puck while skating is harder. There's no gliding in the NHL. In a year he probably picks up shooting technique but doing on skates with a 230-pound defenceman trying to hit him is completely different.

puzzled

Only if he bought the team.

Samy

No, he probably doesn't know how to skate properly because he's dedicated his entire life to basketball while growing up. Also, he would need to transition to a completely new game style, where you have alot more time to think about what plays you can do in basketball then in hockey, where you need to think and act quickly in the latter sport because of the speed. Then, he needs to be able to keep up with the speed of the game, which doesn't come naturally with knowing how to skate. Speed on skates comes with alot of leg and balance training. Also, what doesn't help in this case is the fact that slower hockey players are starting to fade away. Finally, LeBron would never accept the lower salary from playing in the NHL rather than the NBA, which is a big reason he'll stick to pro basketball.

Goldfly252000

Who, who says he is one of hte best athletes of all time? Have these people never heard of guys like Jim Thorpe and Bo Jackson and even Dieon Sanders? You know athletes that actually PROVED they could play multiple sports at the highest level. Not saying anything against LeBron as a basketball player, but as a greatest athlete he hasn't proven anything in that sense. I doubt he could make an NFL roster at his current age let alone make an NHL roster in a year(not saying that the NFL is easier per se, saying that I have no clue of his skating skills and figuring he'd have to learn that aspect to the pro level as well so it would take more).

TexHabs

No and probably not even SPHL, have you any idea how well one has to skate (in addition to other skills like shooting and passing a puck) to play D1 or Jr. A ?

Danny

I think he can because he has attend a NHL game before