Stephen Curry Says LeBron James 'Set the Standard' for Stars Extending NBA Primes

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry marvels at LeBron James' ability to continue playing at an elite level heading into his 19th season. 

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Curry said the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has "set the standard" for players being able to extend their primes. 

"Let's keep it real—what is he, in his 18th year? Nine straight Finals, all the things that he's accomplished. You have a vision of sustaining your prime for as long as you can, kind of reimagining what that looks like. So you know the work that goes into it, the intentionality, especially in the offseasons, especially how you take care of your body, your mind. Balance on court, off court."

James will turn 37 years old on Dec. 30. He ranks sixth in NBA history with 50,055 minutes played during the regular season. 

If you add in the 11,035 minutes James has played in the postseason, his career total jumps up to 61,090. 

Despite the amount of mileage on James' body, he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. The 17-time All-Star was in the middle of the MVP race last season before suffering a sprained ankle on March 20 that kept him out of 26 of the Lakers' last 30 games.

James finished the year averaging 25.0 points, 7.8 assists and 7.7 rebounds. 

Curry isn't quite as old as James, but he would seem to be closer to the end of his prime than the middle of it. The 33-year-old plays a demanding style of basketball that often requires him to be moving at a fast pace constantly to create open shots. 

Of course, Curry also has the ability to just pull up from anywhere inside of half court. He shot 42.1 percent from three-point range on a career-high 12.7 attempts per game last season. 

Getting a healthy Klay Thompson back on the court would also go a long way toward taking some of the burden off Curry. But the Warriors will go as far as their two-time MVP can take them.