Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles says he feels like the LeBron James of football

Jamaal Charles is a very good running back, having rushed for more than 1,000 yards in five of his seven NFL seasons. Plus, the Kansas City Chiefs star is a dual threat, with more than 2,200 receiving yards and 19 touchdown receptions to his credit.

“As long as I play in this league, and play on a high level, I always feel like a team is going to have to stop me,” Charles said Saturday at training camp. “I feel like sometimes I’m the LeBron [James] of football, especially at my position, because I can do so much.”

LeBron James? Really?

James is the face of the NBA, the biggest name in the league right now, a worldwide superstar. He’s a four-time MVP with two championship rings. And after injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, he pretty much carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to this year’s NBA Finals, where they won two games.

Calling him “very good” would be an insult.

Pretty sure Charles doesn’t think of himself as the face of the NFL. And he knows he’s never won a Super Bowl or MVP award.

But he probably does understand how it feels to carry a team. Last year Charles led the Chiefs in rushing and was No. 3 in receiving yards. His five touchdown receptions tied Travis Kelce for team high and his 17 overall touchdowns was second only to quarterback Alex Smith.

The Chiefs were a team with limited options on offense, making Charles extremely valuable with his diverse skill set.

But James is much more than “extremely valuable” to the Cavaliers or even the NBA overall.

And as of right now, Charles isn’t even close to that level.