Austin Rivers found himself in hot water with NFL players after suggesting that basketball players are superior athletes than football players.
Rivers, who joined ESPN as an analyst in 2023 following an 11-year career in the NBA, stopped by the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, where he claimed NBA players would have no trouble making the NFL.
"I can take 30 players right now in the NBA and throw them in the NFL," Rivers said. "You cannot take 30 NFL players and put them in the NFL."
J.J. Watt, who retired in 2022 following a Hall of Fame career in which he won four NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, has taken exception to Rivers' comments.
Watt hopped on Twitter to respond to a clip of Rivers' appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, challenging Austin to prove his theory by taking a chance at the NFL.
"You don’t got a job in either right now, go head and try it," Watt wrote. "For the record, I could absolutely not play in the NBA. 6 hard fouls is about all I could give you and call it a day."
