Shannon Sharpe, Davante Adams weigh in on NFL-NBA debate

The NBA vs. NFL debate can never possibly have a definitive answer. But that won’t stop athletes like Shannon Sharpe and Davante Adams from weighing in on the discussion.

Adams appeared on Friday’s episode of the “Club Shay Shay” podcast hosted by Sharpe. The Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver was asked for his take on the longstanding debate pitting athletes from the NBA against those of the NFL.

Adams and Sharpe both detailed their reasons as to why the believed NFL athletes are superior to both their basketball and baseball counterparts. Sharpe called football players “the most athletic.” Adams agreed and proceeded to expound on Sharpe’s point.

Adams: “It’s not even close. The physical aspect is just one piece. Then you get into the speed. They’re agile, but just being able to move in grass is different.”

Sharpe: “Plus, y’all got like four plays in basketball. We’ve got 150 we’ve got to run.”

Adams: “And we’re going to change the play. You might get three calls in the huddle.”

"Football players are the most athletic. They can jump the highest, they can run the fastest, they're the strongest, they're the toughest… Y'all got like 4 plays in basketball, we got 150 we gotta remember."

– Shannon Sharpe

(via @ClubShayShay)pic.twitter.com/EUef4hNIBF

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 19, 2024

Adams added that football players need to spend at least three years in college to learn all the plays and complexities of football. The 3-time All-Pro compared college football players’ experience to that of college basketball players, who become eligible to make the leap to the NBA after just one year.

Former NBA player Austin Rivers recently irked a few NFL stars with his take on the NFL-NBA debate. Perhaps the points laid out by Sharpe and Adams could also get a few responses from some NBA players.