Kevin Durant Feels LeBron James, Steph Curry, Himself Can Play into Their 40s in NBA

The new wave of young talent that has entered the NBA in recent seasons has certainly taken the league by storm. Despite this, the old guard of Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry does not appear to be itching to hang up their sneakers.

The trio are major attractions at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend event and are all still extremely productive in mid-to-late 30's. Durant said that he is feeling good about his longevity moving forward and even remarked to Michael Lee of The Washington Post that he believes James and Curry could "play into their 40's."

"I was just trying to get to 10 years in the league, and that was my goal," Durant said, per Lee. "But then once you get to nine, eight, you're like: 'I feel great right now. I can keep going,'

Curry attributed the desire to keep playing to how much all three players love the game of basketball and that the sport is meant for them.

"If it's meant for you, it'll happen," Curry said, per Lee. "I think we all just love to hoop. People might think that's a given, but I don't think it is."

James is 39, which makes him the oldest player in the NBA. Durant and Curry are both 35 and among the older generation of the league as well. Still, that doesn't mean that playing into their 40's is an unprecedented phenomenon. Robert Parish, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are among the many legendary players who lasted into their 40's and others like Udonis Haslem, Vince Carter and Joe Johnson were playing in their 40's within the past several seasons.

When it comes to James, Curry and Durant, their desire to play will be the determining factor in how long they last, as the play on the court is clearly not an issue.