"Been that guy" - LeBron James shares throwback picture of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and hometown hero Joe Burrow in a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey

LeBron James, who has been sidelined with knee soreness the last three games, continues to follow the NFL in his spare time. The four-time MVP, who is a huge LA Rams fan, also likely checked on the AFC championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Super Bowl favorites the Kansas City Chiefs.

Following the Bengals’ upset of the heavily-favored Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs, James posted a story on his Instagram a retro photo of Joe Burrow. Burrow, who quarterbacked the Bengals to the win, was only 17 when he took the picture garbed in a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey. The up-and-coming quarterback wore the jersey in elation following James' return to the Cavaliers.

Perhaps no one is as uniquely qualified as the LA Lakers superstar to know what it feels like to carry the lofty expectations of a city. James’ caption is as short as it is for real:

“Been that guy!!”

LeBron James was the guy who ended Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought with a stunning upset of the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. The Akron, Ohio native dragged the Cavs to the championship after falling 3-1 in the series. No one had ever come back from such a deficit in the NBA until James’ Cavaliers pulled off the feat against Steph Curry and the mighty Warriors.

If Joe Burrow manages to lead the Bengals past the star-studded LA Rams at the latter’s home stadium, he’ll automatically become a legend like the 18x All-Star. Should the Bengals win Super Bowl LVI, it’ll be the first NFL championship by Cincinnati since losing the two previous times they went to the title game.

The former Heisman Trophy winner has already authored one of the biggest turnarounds by a team in a single season. After ending with a 4-11-1 record in his rookie season, the quarterback has now brought the Bengals to the biggest stage in pro football. His win against Patrick Mahomes at the Kansas City Chiefs’ home field is the biggest yet of his career.

It’ll be interesting to see who LeBron James will be rooting for between the LA Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s one of the Rams’ biggest supporters, but his team will be facing a team from Ohio, his home state.

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LeBron James is still out with an injury

LeBron James has had more injuries in the last 4 years than in his previous 15. [Photo: Sports Illusrated]

LeBron James has now missed three straight games due to knee soreness. The LA Lakers have lost all three games when the superstar has been sidelined. Despite the presence of Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, the Lakers melted in the fourth quarter in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The LA Lakers are now 24-27 and are sitting in 9th place in the Western Conference. If they don’t drastically improve in the last two months, they will likely go through the play-in tournament for a spot in the postseason. LeBron James has been playing at an MVP level, but many in the lineup have been hugely disappointing.

Even when James returns, the LA Lakers have pressing issues to fix before they can become bona fide championship hopefuls.