Boston Celtics superstar Kyrie Irving has never been one to hold his tongue and the guard continued his outspoken ways when discussing his career length.
When asked about the longevity of Vince Carter prior to squaring off against him and the Atlanta Hawks, Irving said he could never play into his 40’s like Carter has. In fact, Irving said he hopes to retire from the game in his early-to-mid 30’s according to Celtics reporter Marc D’Amico.
Kyrie Irving says he only wants to play in the NBA until his early to mid-30s.
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 23, 2018
Though Irving is still only 26 years old, his early-30’s aren’t that far down the road. Irving told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps about his reasoning when it comes to walking away from the game well before he’s 40 years old.
“I love basketball itself. But everything that comes with it? It doesn’t really matter to me, in terms of my life. I enjoy the game, I enjoy being with my teammates, playing every single day..
“Being an NBA player, this is a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. I think everything else that comes with it doesn’t hold the same stature it once did.”
“But I enjoy it, though. I love this game.”
Though this likely isn’t welcome news for Celtics fans and many NBA enthusiasts, not everyone can be Vince Carter and play well into their 40’s. It’s fair for Kyrie Irving to walk away from the game whenever he pleases and as many know, the electrifying floor general has never been afraid to speak his mind.
Hopefully, however much longer Irving does decide to play, it’s filled with memorable accolades and more All-Star berths as the first seven years of his career have been. Irving continued, highlighting why exactly he’ll be stepping away from the game earlier than most probably anticipated.
“I just think the material gain in it just doesn’t really matter to me anymore as much as it once did. The little things are just what make the game special. Coming every single day and playing with these guys, and still try to figure out what that challenge is to be better as a basketball player rather than like, ‘What’s my popularity like?’ or ‘What branding could be done here?’ or something like that. That all comes, but I think the love of the game should always outshine everything else that comes with the NBA lifestyle.”
