Could Lebron James run sub-60 for 400m?

i wouldn't be shocked if lebron could 49 sec for 400m. i think he could easily run 52 sec. remember, he's a highly elite explosive athlete, who does extraordinary things for a man of his height.

Wilt Chamberlain, at 7 feet one inch tall, ran the 400 in 48 point. He ran 49.0 for the quarter and 1:58.3 for the half at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia.

Bill Russell ran the quarter in 49.6 while in college at the University of San Francisco.

Consequently, I am rather sure that some of the better known NBA players of today could break 50 seconds in the 400.

This isn't futuristic prediction type analysis. It's history. Tell your friends about it.

Most NBA players could break 60 by midseason. LeBron, no question. The faster ones can break 50, as proven by two of the greatest centers of all time.

Bonus for young people: Chamberlain and Russell's incredible athleticism is why Shaq was never considered on their level by people who saw all three play. Shaq was very good. They were great and would have schooled him. Those guys were relentless. Shaq would have needed oxygen after about 5 minutes with those guys.

I've never heard Russell ran track. Can anyone else verify this?

Lebron's a bit big but he could probably do it. Kobe could definitely do it. Breaking 60 seconds for 400 meters isn't that hard for excellent athletes (except like, you know, linebackers and linemen)who are not distance runners.

Lebron could easily run a 60 second quarter. I believe he would have to train to break 50 though.

I don't know about Russell, but Chamberlain was quite a bit skinnier when he was running those times.

Yes--he ran sub 50 for the 440 and high jumped over 6'9" for University of San Francisco. About James, anyone who doesn't recognize that he can easily run sub 60 is either on drugs or has no comprehension whatsoever of human athletics.

thats impressive wrote:

I've never heard Russell ran track. Can anyone else verify this?

i went to usf, and i didnt know he ran, but im pretty sure he held all the long jump, triple jump, and high jump records..wouldnt be suprised though, the man was a freak of nature like amare is today

I'm 50 years old and slightly above average athletically. I run a 3.2 flying 30m, and 55.xx 400 meters. I know he can go sub 3.0 in the flying 30, so yes, he can probably go low 50's, and sub 50 on about 4 weeks of training!

allen iverson has run a 4:20 mile

Incredible:

"Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. He competed in the 440 yard (402 m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds.[14] He also participated in the high jump; Track & Field News ranked him as the seventh-best high jumper in the world in 1956. That year, Russell won high jump titles at the Central California AAU meet, the Pacific AAU meet, and the West Coast Relays. One of his highest jumps occurred at the West Coast Relays, where he achieved a mark of 6 feet 9¼ inches (2.06 m).[15]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Russell

I am not so sure about them schooling him. Partly it would depend on the era they are playing in. In the 50s and 60s Shaq's game wouldn't work because contact was restricted, and a foul would be called. In today's game Shaq could push them around and there would be nothing they could do, much like he does with so many undersized centers now and in the prime of his career. The other thing that you didn't discuss is Shaq's quickness. For someone of his size he has (or at least had) the quickest first step imaginable. Not only could he bury you under the basket but then he could spin off you and dunk it before you had a chance to react. That is why Shaq has been dominant. You could make every 7 footer as big as Shaq, but you couldn't make them as quick at that size.

bernie williams, former CF for the yanks was a 47.x quarter miler early in high school but was one of the best ball players in puerto rico at the time. guess which sport he gave up?

I'm 6'8 and 185 pounds, and I ran 59.0 for the quarter. He's 6'8 with fifty pounds more muscle than I have, and 1000 times the explosiveness. He could break 60 running backwards. Also, I think the average person underestimates the physical fitness you need to play high level basketball. Even as a runner, I could get tired pretty quickly sprinting up and down the bball court. Lebron is fit, without a doubt.

I think I've got some insight that can put this discussion to rest. My most recent attempt was a bet with some of my track buddies that I couldn't run sub 60 for a quarter. I'm 30 years old, 5'10" and now upwards of 205 lbs. I haven't run hardly at all in years, but in my prime I was a 1:48, 4:03. After 2 beers and some trash talk we went up to the local high school track. I was able to run 59.2 (verified by witnesses) going out in 26 flat out for the first 200. I probably could have run 57 if I had some spikes and it wasn't so damn hot.

Lebron's probably good for at least 52. I've heard him called "the fastest guy in the NBA" by multiple announcers and players. Think about it...you guys didn't have reasonably fit high school football players that could bang out a 53 on the 4x4 relay?

yes

We had a 6'8" jumper on our team run a 400m time trial to help decide our 4x400 team. It was his first time running the event, and he had the second fastest time of the day with 52.x. Eventually he became our anchor running in the 50s.

I think LeBron could very easily go sub-60, if not sub-55. I could still run sub-60, and I only run about 10 miles a week.

No question he could do it. Basketball is essentially cross-training for running 200s and 400s. You run hard for 30 to 60 seconds at a time, rest, repeat, for about 2 hours. It does not do much, however, to prepare you for a 5k. I did cross, basketball, and track in high school. There is some cross training benefit between cross and basketball. I could easily stay in the whole game and not get tired after a season of cross. But I would still get winded during the games from all of the intense running, just like you do after a hard 200 or 400. Even though I was in great shape after cross season, I would still get sore the first week of basketball practice because it's just a different type of running. By the end of basketball season, my endurance had fallen off quite a bit but I swear it helped my speed for track season. 400 would be Lebron's limit. If he tried an 800 or a mile, his size would cause him to fall way off.

Could he run it 60+

He could, but a high school kid would beat him and you would never see the video....