Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Devin Funchess made some history recently. After his NFL career ended in 2022, he has become the first former NFL player to sign a contract to play professional basketball. As previously reported, he is now playing for Caribbean Storm Islands of the Professional Colombia Basketball League.
Funchess previously played for the Packers during the 2021 preseason, and was signed by the team before opting out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funchess also plans on attending open tryouts for the G-League affiliates of the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Interestingly, the Funchess news came at around the same time that Austin Rivers, the son of Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, went viral for comments he made on the Pat McAfee show regarding NFL and NBA players.
Austin Rivers Claimed that 30 NBA Players Could Go Play in the NFL Right Now
During an appearance earlier this week on The Pat McAfee Show, former NBA guard Austin Rivers made the claim that NBA players would have an easier time making it in the NFL than NFL players would have making it in the NBA.
As mentioned earlier, Funchess is the first NFL player to sign a professional basketball contract. While he is playing in South America and is planning on NBA G-League tryouts, he still has a long way to go before he makes it to the NBA.
There have, however, been some NFL players that have made it to the highest level of professional baseball. Bo Jackson, as many know, was both a Pro Bowl running back with the [then] Oakland Raiders and an All-Star outfielder with the Kansas City Royals.
Deion Sanders is a Hall of Fame football player who also played nine seasons in the Majors. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson was drafted by two Major League Baseball teams. The Baltimore Orioles drafted him the 41st round of the amateur draft in 2007. Wilson, however, opted for a college career and was drafted fourth round of the 2010 amateur draft by the Colorado Rockies.
Mark Vital recently went from playing in the NBA Summer League to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. Otto Graham and Bud Grant are the only two players to play in both the NBA and NFL. That low number seems to suggest Rivers’ claim might be a bit exaggerated.
Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver James Jones Took Exception to Austin Rivers’ Comments
Former Packers wide receiver, who is now a NFL analyst, was not buying what Rivers was selling. He used his platform to go off on the former NBA lottery pick:
“Number one, put respect on our sport; that’s number one. It is not just run and catch the ball and turn around. It ain’t just hand the ball and do that. It takes a lot of work at your craft to do what we do on a football field.
“And Austin Rivers, if you stepped on a football field homeboy, you wouldn’t make it. We know that right now. Because you barely made it in the NBA, and I’m just keeping it a buck. Football is not an easy game, dog. That’s why a lot of basketball players that stepped on the football field, stepped right back on the basketball court because it’s not an easy game.
“It’s a lot that goes into the NFL. And you not ’bout to walk in the NFL and think you ’bout to catch and turn around. Try again, homeboy. Do your research on the NFL, man. Watch some football games… whatever you want to watch and catch up on it, man, because 30 dudes in the NBA ain’t doing that, homeboy.”
NFL and Wisconsin Badgers legend JJ Watt and NBA legend Charles Barkley also voiced strong disagreements with Rivers’ take.
Austin Rivers Clapped Back at Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver James Jones
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On Thursday afternoon, Rivers posted the following on X (formerly Twitter):
Been just sitting back listening to the chatter. But I can’t help myself sometimes lol. James Jones…( the packer guy) I have never heard of you. But listen here ya little meat head…fall back lol. Talking about “you barely made it in the nba”😂…bro I was lottery pick who has…
— Austin Rivers (@AustinRivers25) May 9, 2024
For the record, Jones is a Super Bowl winning wide receiver who led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 2012 (with 14).
Sounds like Rivers could stand to do a little bit more research.
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