Tim Tebow: LeBron James is a Friend and Fan

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and NBA superstar LeBron James have little in common -- except for the fact that they are both high-profile athletes in their respective sports.

LeBron entered the NBA right out of high school and the most-touted prep player in history and immediately excelled on the professional hardwood. Tebow (who still has many doubters) had a much harder climb to NFL success.

However, these two young men are apparently good friends.

According to a report in ESPN, on Friday night before his Miami Heat faced off with the Denver Nuggets, James was asked about Tebow.

Honestly, I've been paying attention to Tebow all year, even while I was watching the Cowboys,” he said, referring to his favorite NFL team.

“I love to see what a guy can do when his back is up against the wall and everybody counts him out. I'm in that same boat sometimes, so I root for guys like that.

ESPN indicated that James and Tebow keep in touch periodically and both men endorse Nike products.

I can relate to [Tebow] a lot. I see how the media plays it sometimes and how the critics go at him, James said. To see him prove them wrong and if it's a good game or a bad game on his part, he continues to stay positive and move forward. You respect that. And that's a great sign -- it's a great leader, no matter if you're in that same sport or not.

Last summer, James defended Tebow when the young quarterback was facing a storm of criticism for his playing style during training camp.

James wrote on Twitter: Tim Tebow will succeed in the NFL. He's a hard worker, a student of the game, a natural born leader and most of all a WINNER! It takes time and he'll be nice.

Regarding Tebow’s much-hyped game against New England Patriots on Saturday evening, the NBA star said: I wish him the best. I want him to play well and I want him to be successful.

For the record James’ Heat lost to the Nuggets on Friday night.