Nah, when you resort to money over an argument, you lost the argument. They're all millionaires, but James Jones can also say he's a champion if you want to make it about something rather than the argument itself.
At the end of the day, Rivers had a weak argument. There are not 30 NBA players who can play in the NFL.
How brutally strong and athletic NFL athletes are compared to the NBA is really understated. Shaq being maybe the strongest player the league has ever seen really shows enough, nearly every average offensive and defensive linemen in the league can lift more than Shaq.
Shaq said the most he's eve bench pressed was 450 lbs., but there's no video proof of that.
Meanwhile multiple NFL athletes can put up 600 lbs. on the bench press, while some have done 700 lbs. with verified proof.
A lot of NFL players are also elite wrestlers. Many were state champions.
Multiple NFL players played in or got drafted into the MLB.
Many were all state soccer players.
Mentally, you got M.I.T Math professors, Engineers, etc. who've stepped foot on an NFL field.
WWE, acting, music, military, etc.
shyt, NFL athletes got a trillion times more rhythm as dancers than NBA players.
These guys are athletes among athletes and among the peak humans on this planet. On average NBA players are just good at basketball because they're taller, the average NFL player is more diverse and all-around special.
You can "play" basketball going at full speed, but you can't really "play" NFL going at full speed. The contact is almost like "playing" boxing or MMA, you can't really do that. One hit can end it all and change your life.
NFL players at any point can jump on a basketball court with pros hold their own with NBA players going at full speed and full contact. They'll do so over the off-season at any time.
Can you say the same about an NBA player in a real full-contact NFL game?
I think NFL players would hold their own much closer than NBA players jumping on an NFL field at full speed, real hits and all. NBA players however would never jump on a football field going full contact imo, meanwhile NFL players always jump on basketball courts.
Shaq struggling with 405 (even had a tough time with 315), now this is past his playing days, but nonetheless remember some NFL linemen push 600-700lbs.
Charles was using fake weights.
People used to freak out when Shaq threw a punch. Imagine Penei Sewell throwing a punch at you.
There's a big difference.