Last night, the 2017 NFL Draft kicked off from the steps of Philadelphia’s Art Museum. Several members of the Cleveland Cavaliers were keeping an eye on the proceedings, including LeBron James.
After today’s practice session, James was asked to give an assessment of the Cleveland Browns’ first round selections. Being a native of Ohio, The King, known to be a big Ohio State Buckeyes fan, may have been a bit partial in his response. Nevertheless, he was happy with who the Browns decided to pick.
“I know we got Jabrill (Peppers) from that other school,” James said with a sheepish grin.
That other school James referred to is The University of Michigan. Calling it by its rightful name just isn’t common practice in Ohio – especially for Buckeye fans. Peppers, who played for the Buckeyes’ arch-rival Wolverines, is a fine safety, however.
With their third pick in the first round, the Browns selected University of Miami tight end, David Njoku, who James says is “pretty good.”
“They took a receiver as well, right?,” James asked the reporters who were gathered around. “A tight end from Miami that’s pretty good, I heard. Listen, I want them to be successful. I want the Browns to be great. I mean, it makes us all better — as a city, as a community — if the Indians, the Browns, the Cavs, and all the teams around here are good. It starts with talent and putting them in the right position to be successful. I wish nothing but the best to those guys.”
James, wearing a shirt that read “Always Believe” across the front, ended the interview on a light note, cracking a joke about the length of the NFL Draft.
“The draft is like, eight days or something, isn’t it?,” James asked another reporter. “So they’ve got more guys they can pick, too.”
The King and the Cavs will face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of this year’s NBA Playoffs, beginning with Monday night’s Game 1 matchup inside Quicken Loans Arena at 7:00 p.m. EST.