Devin Funchess, a former Green Bay Packers wide receiver, made some history recently. After retiring from the NFL in 2022, he became the first former athlete to sign a deal to play professional basketball. As previously reported, he now plays for Caribbean Storm Islands in the Professional Colombia Basketball League.
Funchess previously played for the Packers in the 2021 preseason and was signed by the organization before withdrawing from the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Funchess also hopes to attend open trials for the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers’ G-League clubs.
Interestingly, Funchess’ announcement came around the same time that Austin Rivers, the son of Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, became viral for comments he made on the Pat McAfee show about NFL and NBA players.
Austin Rivers stated that 30 NBA players could play in the NFL right now.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, former NBA guard Austin Rivers claimed that NBA players would have an easier time breaking into the NFL than NFL players would in the NBA.
As previously stated, Funchess is the first NFL player to sign a professional basketball contract. While he is currently playing in South America and plans to attend NBA G-League tryouts, he still has a long way to go before making it to the NBA.
There have been some NFL players who have advanced to the highest level of professional baseball. Many people are familiar with Bo Jackson, who was a Pro Bowl running back for the Oakland Raiders and an All-Star outfielder for the Kansas City Royals.
Deion Sanders is a Hall of Fame football player who also spent nine seasons in the major leagues. Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback, was picked by two Major League Baseball teams. The Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 41st round of the amateur draft in 2007. Wilson, on the other hand, chose to play college baseball and was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 amateur draft by the Colorado Rockies.
Mark Vital recently joined the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad after playing in the NBA Summer League. Otto Graham and Bud Grant are the only players to have played in both the NBA and the NFL. That low amount suggests Rivers’ allegation may be overblown.
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones took exception to Austin Rivers’ comments.
The former Packers wide receiver, who is now an NFL pundit, did not buy what Rivers was selling. He utilized his position to speak out against the former NBA lottery pick:
“Number one, show respect for our sport. It is not enough to just sprint and catch the ball before turning around. It’s not enough to just hand over the ball. It takes a lot of dedication to your skill to do what we do on a football field.
“And Austin Rivers, if you stepped into a football field, you would not make it. We know this right now. Because you barely made it to the NBA, and I’m simply keeping a buck. Football is not a simple game, puppy. That’s why many basketball players who have played football have returned to the basketball court because the game is not easy.
“There is a lot that goes into the NFL. And don’t walk into the NFL expecting to catch and turn around. Try it again, homeboy. Do some homework on the NFL, man. Watch football games or whatever you want to catch up on, because 30 NBA players aren’t doing that.
JJ Watt, an NFL and Wisconsin Badgers icon, and NBA legend Charles Barkley both strongly disagreed with Rivers’ point of view.
Austin Rivers Hit Back at Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver James Jones
On Thursday afternoon, Rivers wrote the following on X (previously Twitter):
Jones is a Super Bowl-winning wide receiver who led the NFL in touchdown receptions (14 in 2012).
It appears that Rivers could benefit from conducting additional research.
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