Imagine being so good at something that the world labels you a legend, yet your heart secretly beats for another passion. It’s Joe Montana that we’re talking about, folks. The NFL legend who led the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories was that guy who could thread a football through the eye of a needle. But what if I told you that while we were all in awe of his football wizardry, he was daydreaming about slam dunks and three-pointers?
Yep, turns out Joe had a bit of a hoops crush. Correction: growing up, basketball was Montana’s favorite sport. And we’re not making it up. It’s the 49ers legend “Joe Cool” himself talking. If you’ve scrolled down TikTok lately, you might have come across a video where Montana was talking about his alternate career choice.
When an interviewer asked, “We’re here with the legend himself. Mr. Joe Montana… Obviously, we know how legendary you are on the football field, but if you could play any other sport, what would that be? And why?” Joe Cool straight-up admitted basketball as his favorite sport. “Oh, basketball,” he said.
“It’s just my favorite. Growing up was my favorite sport. I actually thought I was going to play basketball in college, and until I got an offer from Notre Dame, and then I ended up going there.” Let’s rewind to the days before Montana became football’s Joe Cool. Even before high school, the guy was already hooked on sports, chasing any game he could get his hands on (baseball, basketball, and, of course, football).
Considering basketball was his favorite sport, Joe’s dad, Montana Sr. started a local basketball team for him where he practiced and played for regional tournaments. The result? Well, for starters, Montana led his high school team to the 1973 WPIAL Class AAA boys’ basketball championship and earned all-state honors.
See it this way: his basketball performance was so impressive that North Carolina State offered him a basketball scholarship, even sweetening the deal by allowing him to play both basketball and football. It’s like TB12 being offered a starting QB job and a pro golf contract at the same time. His skill-set? “In eighth grade, I could dunk in ninth grade,” he said. “I could do anything you wanted dunking-wise. I could hit it off the glass, two-handed behind the head. Any kind of dunk you want, I could do.”
But here’s the kicker—even though he had an elite basketball career during high school, Montana believes that he couldn’t have made it to the NBA. “No. No, no (when asked if he could’ve made to the NBA), but it would have been, but I just love the game, just fun to watch, fun to play, fun to even practice. A lot more fun to practice than football.”
But the reality is that after getting a call from Notre Dame, Joe Cool chose football as his primary sport and the rest is history. But we’re not done with this debate. No, not just yet. Because the ex-Patriots’ QB still believes that Montana was a great basketball player.
Joe Montana was a better basketball player
“Joe had an incredible ability to be cool under pressure. He was the best I’ve ever seen.” That’s Bill Walsh, Montana’s former coach, just saying what literally everyone already knew. The reason? Well, there are plenty of reasons, but this statement is surely evident because of the Super Bowl XXIII. From trailing 16-13 with just 3:10 left on the clock, Montana produced that game-winning touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. Final score: 20-16, 49ers win. BUT!
Football wasn’t even Montana’s best sport—at least that’s what the ex-Patriots QB, Scott Zolak believes. Zolak recently appeared on Ross Tucker Podcast, where he talked about the early days of Joe Cool. See, Zolak’s dad, Paul Zolak, was Montana’s coach during his high school career at Ringgold. As for Scott, he served as the water-boy of the team and after Montana kicked off, Zolak would race out and grab the tee.
“I used to run on the field and get the kicking tee after Joe kicked off in high school.”
“Joe (Montana) was a better basketball player than he was a football player.”@ScottZolak shares some WILD stories about growing up in the same hometown as the 49ers legend: pic.twitter.com/hzwF0CTsfA
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) March 27, 2025
Considering Zolak had the front-row seat of Montana’s earlier heroics, he knew that Montana was a better basketball player than he was a football player. “Joe was a better basketball player than he was a football player. We got more excited going to Joe’s basketball games in high school than football,” Zolak said. “Joe was a big hooper. NC State gave him a full-ride for hoops.”
“Joe was a little bit of a floater, but he could shoot, and he was a pretty good point guard. He could play wing, he could play point. He could move in and out. You knew he was good because people would come and watch him play.” Fast forward, and let’s just say fate had other legendary plans for Joe Montana. And why not? The four-time Super Bowl champion with 3 Super Bowl MVPs and a two-time MVP is one of the greatest QBs in the league.
The post Major Revelation on Joe Montana’s Alternate Career Choice After 49ers Legend’s Confession on Favorite Sport appeared first on EssentiallySports.
