Basketball legend LeBron James has revealed he nearly signed to play in the National Football League in 2011.

James said the Dallas Cowboys offered him a contract during the National Basketball Assocation’s lockout. The lockout, which lasted eight months, meant players in the NBA couldn’t access training facilities or staff and all trading of players was also frozen.

"I had no idea how long the lockout was going to be, and myself and my trainer... we really started to actually train to be a football player,' he said on the Uninterrupted podcast.

“We started to clock our time in the 40, we started to add a little bit more to our bench presses and things of that nature.”

He added he dreams about playing football.

"It's crazy because I actually never run on the field in my dreams. 

“It always gets to the point where I'm either in the locker room or getting dressed or talking about or seeing the fans and as soon as I'm about to run on the field, something else happens in my dream."

James’ business partner and friend Maverick Carter also revealed on the podcast a physical contract was given to him.

“I know he got a contract from Jerry Jones [Dallas Cowboys owner] that he framed and put in his office.”

The lockout did lift in 2011 and James said he then stopped considering the switch.