LeBron James breaks Jerry Rice’s 36-year record, wows Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey is so good that he caught the attention of LeBron James.

McCaffrey created an NFL-NBA crossover, running for three touchdowns and scoring another in San Francisco’s 35-16 home victory over Arizona State on Sunday.

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“CMC, you are so ridiculous,” James screamed on X (formerly Twitter). “Oh my God,” he added.

McCaffrey scored a touchdown in his 13th consecutive game, breaking Jerry Rice’s franchise record.

The running back had a chance to tie a franchise record with five touchdowns in a game, but San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan sent Kyle Juszczyk Juszczyk, then Brock Purdy, who scored on a quarterback sneak.

“I didn’t know he had four touchdowns until I first got here,” Shanahan said. “I never knew anything like this. I was actually shocked. I felt a little bad about it. “I wish I had tried. “

James is clearly a 49ers fan now due to McCaffrey’s incredible athleticism.

“I’m a LeBron James fan,” McCaffrey responded, his admiration palpable.

When it came to James tweeting about the star running back during the San Francisco game, McCaffrey said he was aware of the post and marveled at the attention.

“I saw it,” McCaffrey said. “That’s really cool.”

Is James a secret admirer of the 49ers?

“I didn’t know he went to Neenah football games, but I had to get him to go to a game,” McCaffrey said.

James’ football history dates back to high school, and he considered switching to the NFL during the 2011 NBA lockout.

The basketball king was once a famous fan of the Dallas Cowboys, but he has recently become critical of the organization.

While San Francisco is an early Super Bowl favorite in the NFC with a 4-0 record, McCaffrey is playing like the league MVP.

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The seventh-year back rushed for 459 yards and six touchdowns and also had 18 catches for 141 yards and one touchdown.

In an era when running backs are being devalued, McCaffrey has become a versatile offensive weapon for the 49ers and a fantasy football must-have.

Even James noticed McCaffrey’s dominance on the court.

“Oh my God. It’s awesome,” said San Francisco tackle Trent Williams, referring to his powerful teammate’s 18-yard touchdown run. “I was literally right there. I couldn’t believe he could get up and get into the end zone. I was like, ‘You’re a bad boy.’ “

After spending his first six pro seasons in Carolina, McCaffrey was traded to San Francisco in 2022 for multiple draft picks.

Injuries limited McCaffrey at times, but he still rushed for 5,079 yards and collected 3,826 yards in 78 career games.

The two-time Pro Bowler scored 67 touchdowns in his career and showed why he was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The NFL’s best running back has led the 49ers to an undefeated season this year, attracting the attention of the NBA’s biggest names.