Kyrie Irving on LeBron James 'Dominating' at Age 38: We Shouldn't Be Surprised
Kyrie Irving saw how LeBron James operates from close up when they were teammates and champions on the Cleveland Cavaliers. So the fact the King is still playing at such a high level even at 38 years old doesn't come as a surprise to the Brooklyn Nets guard.
Nick Friedell of ESPN shared Irving's comments about his former teammate following Brooklyn's 121-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers:
"I definitely saw this when we were playing together. His ability to prepare himself mentally, spiritually, emotionally, game to game, day to day. I've been quoted on saying it's hard to be LeBron James, or any superstar, or any entertainment, sport, athletic or business industry, because all eyes are on you. But he's handled it extremely well.
"We gave the keys to the whole entire business to an 18-year-old kid and now he's 38 years old and he's still dominating. I don't think we should be surprised. I think we should congratulate and celebrate him as much as possible. Continue to enjoy the shows that he put on because it's not going to be for too much longer."
James did not play in Monday's contest in a game that was missing plenty of star power with Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons also sidelined.
Irving led the way with 26 points as the Nets pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles would have had a better chance to beat Brooklyn with James on the floor. He's averaging 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor this season.
Those numbers would be impressive for any player at any age, let alone someone in his 20th season with plenty of playoff miles on his legs as well. His longevity only adds to one of the best legacies in NBA history, and Irving had nothing but positive things to say about his former teammate after Monday's game.
