During an interview with NBA reporter Michael Lee of The Washington Post, Kevin Durant said he thinks he, LeBron James and Stephen Curry can play into their 40s.
LeBron is 39, while both Durant and Curry are 35.
“I was just trying to get to 10 years in the league, and that was my goal,” Durant said. “But then once you get to nine, eight, you’re like: ‘I feel great right now. I can keep going.'”
LeBron is the oldest player in the NBA. He’s averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks this season. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has pretty much handed Father Time his first defeat.
Durant, who tore his right Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, is averaging 28.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.3 blocks this season. He’s sixth in NBA history in points per game.
Finally, Curry is averaging 28.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks this season. He’s the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers.
LeBron can become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he declines his 2024-25 player option with the Los Angeles Lakers. The King turns 40 on December 30.
“The league’s given me so much,” LeBron told Lee. “I just try to set an example for the next generation. I never got into, like, ‘Oh, I’m the face of the NBA.’ I never, ever even said that. I’ve always just understood it as a responsibility with being a professional. And I’ve always wanted to be that and always have done that.”
LeBron, Durant and Curry have combined to win 10 championships, seven Finals MVPs and seven regular-season MVPs. They are three of the greatest players in NBA history.
Curry is expected to retire with the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, Durant has changed teams quite often lately, so we can’t say for certain if he will retire with the Phoenix Suns.
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