LL Cool J Punched Lennox Lewis and Regretted It

LL Cool J and Lennox Lewis

LL Cool J tells Carmelo Anthony about accidentally catching heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis during a playful boxing scene on In the House. The moment quickly turned serious: LL says he saw Lennox’s expression change and watched him stumble, then immediately pleaded, “Don’t hit me—it’s me, brother.”

He jokes that Lennox’s stare stayed with him and that they seemed to change size in the moment: LL felt like he’d shrunk while Lennox got taller. LL is convinced someone captured the rehearsal on camera and invites people to look for the footage.

Lawrence Taylor and the Power of Football Players

The story leads into another lesson in how intimidating big athletes can be. On the set of Any Given Sunday, LL thought he and Lawrence Taylor looked about the same size—until Taylor put on his helmet and ran past him. A casual shoulder bump was enough to make LL joke that someone should call an ambulance.

LL describes football contact as so powerful it makes your “femur vibrate,” and says the players of that era were “different human beings.”

The conversation ends with a joking nod to Ronnie Lott and his missing pinky finger, reinforcing the point that old-school football players were built tough.

Personalities Mentioned

• LL Cool J
• Carmelo Anthony
• Lennox Lewis
• Lawrence Taylor (LT)
• Ronnie Lott