I came across this while reading an article on ESPN. Seems very similar to an argument Reger posted awhile back. Now, ESPN is no Sci-Fi Blog but I would have to say that you have to give some credence to Rob's statement now.

Here is the Exchange:

Q: If soccer was king in the U.S. and every kid grew up playing it, which current athlete would be the best soccer player?
--Szabi, Far Hills



SG: My old answer for this question was Allen Iverson. He's washed up now, but the reasons I always thought he would thrive on a soccer field still hold up: lower center of gravity, explosive speed, phenomenal coordination, leaping ability and a feistiness/toughness/arrogance that every great soccer player has. (FYI: The world's two best players right now are 5-foot-7 Lionel Messi and 5-10 Wayne Rooney.) Can you think of any American athlete exactly like those guys? Me neither. These three would be the most interesting, though:



Deron Williams: Six-foot-3, great footwork, explosive, physical, strong, thinks like a playmaker. He'd be an unbelievable stopper in an alternate universe.



Rajon Rondo: Can you think of a better position for a cat-like 6-3 freakishly athletic guy with oversized hands than soccer goalie? I mean, other than point guard? Why do I feel like we could teach Rondo the position in 10 days and he'd instantly become the best goalie in the world?



LeBron James: My adopted team (Tottenham Hotspur) has a striker named Peter Crouch who's something of a soccer oddity -- 6-7, loves playing in the air, unleashes more crazy headers than everyone else in the Premier League combined. You can't help but watch him and think, "All right, what would happen if this guy had LeBron-like DNA?" And by the way, he's not lacking athletic chops. He's like a Brent Barry/Chase Budinger type. But he's not LeBron, either. Have LeBron playing soccer since age 4, give him Crouch's aerial DNA and holy schnikes …