There’s no player in the AFL quite like Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, but if you’re searching for a comparison you could do worse than look towards NBA star Lebron James.

For starters, both Franklin and James can lay claim to the mantle of their code’s most athletically blessed player. Each has a rare combination of power, speed and agility, coupled with an ability to do things on the field (or court) that others simply cannot.

There are physical similarities too – their arms are both adorned with artwork, and they sport haircuts that wouldn’t be out of place in the movie ‘Jarhead’.

LeBron wore number 23 on his Cleveland jersey, before accepting a lucrative contract to move to Miami. Franklin wears 23 too and is considering a big contract offer from Greater Western Sydney.

But for both Buddy and LeBron, there’s one thing they share that matters above all else. They’ve achieved ultimate team success twice.

LeBron won his second championship in June this year, while last Saturday saw Franklin become a dual-premiership player.

http://instagram.com/p/a1qDuViTBw/

To add to it all, both posted celebrations (from beds) the day after their victories, on social media. Was Franklin’s picture inspired by LeBron’s famous video or is it a coincidence?

To be fair to Buddy, we must admit he’s handled his success far more humbly than LeBron.