Kyrie Irving isn’t ready to walk away from basketball, but the nine-time All-Star is beginning to question how much longer he wants to remain in the NBA.
After 16 years in the league, Irving has admitted that his priorities are changing, with family, personal fulfillment and the growing demands of professional basketball all playing a role in his thinking.
“You have social media and gambling which is running rampant and it’s not the same NBA that I fell in love with as a kid and I’m very much aware of that,” Irving said. “And I don’t say that as a negative thing, it’s just when I came in, we were not doing like tipping and gambling meetings. You know, kind of talking about these things that are going on on social media and mental health was like this foreign subject …like nobody ever talked about it in 2011, so I think that the game has changed, it’s become less human, it’s more robotic. And I think my next few years, I kind of look at it as like, do I really love that aspect of it? I love the playing, I love the competition, but do I love all the hoopla that goes into it.”
Irving entered the NBA as a 19-year-old in 2011 and has since built an impressive resume, highlighted by his championship-winning shot against the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
However, the 34-year-old is now looking beyond individual accomplishments and considering what the next stage of his life might look like.
While stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry continue to extend their careers, Irving isn’t convinced that following the same path is right for him.
“I love those guys, but I don’t share the same sentiments as them in certain cases,” Irving said. “ I’ve been able to put the NBA in perspective coming in at 19, (and playing) 16 years. I don’t look at it as comparing my years to other people, but just how much love I still have for it and it’s not just for basketball.
“I’m fully aware of just my position and purpose and figure and just playing in the NBA. So basketball is eternal flame. It always will, but I don’t see myself playing in the NBA at 42, 43.”
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