It’s hard to fine good comparisons for Rob Gronkowski within the mere scope of football, so Washington coach Jay Gruden looked to the NBA.
And while the players he mentioned are physically different, Gruden admitted that stopping the Patriots tight end wasn’t something you can ever plan on.
“Rob Gronkowski, he’s like a great basketball player — Steph Curry or LeBron James. He’s going to get his points,” Gruden said, via Rich Garven of the Providence Journal. “You’ve just got to make sure they don’t kill you.”
That’s a reasonable stance, and Gronkowski clearly appreciated the mention. But at the same time, he said he was as much of a physical force on the hardwood as he is the football field.
“Dang, so I’ve got a 3-point shot and I’ve got power and quickness? I’ll take that; I’ll take the Steph Curry-LeBron [comparison],” Gronkowski said. “I played some high school ball, all the way through my senior year. Loved playing basketball, I miss it.”
“I was the No. 1 dunker. I packed the house throwing down my jams every game.”
While Gronkowski’s skills are clearly better served on the football field, the idea he can be stopped by one guy isn’t, as Gruden has certainly figured out in a week of film study.
