When people think of the NBA, they think of famous people like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, but those individuals no longer play. Some of the best players in the NBA are LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic. But, how long until their career ends?
While LeBron has played for 21 years, some think he only has a few more seasons left. “LeBron James’ battery is drained,” said Alan Hahn, radio host for the NBA. “It’s like an old iPhone. When you plug it in and try to charge it up, it never gets back to 100 percent.” LeBron just recently turned 39 years old.
Kevin Durant is another player, also known as KD, who is slowly aging. He is 35 years old and was drafted in 2008. Statistics say that his best season was the 2013-14 season as he averaged 32 points per game. He faced off against a rookie, Victor Wembanyama, and they went back and forth but Wembanyama’s team ended up winning. Kevin Durant who has led the league in scoring four times was challenged by a rookie and lost to him on the same day.
One more player who is aging is Stephen Curry, who is the current leader in three-point shots in the NBA. “I’m just getting old,” said Curry, after a win against the Bucks. His best season was the 2020-21 season during which he averaged 32 points. Curry is one of the key components to the Warriors franchise but his time might be up soon. He also had a game against Victor, to which he lost the tip-off. Victor is averaging 20 points while Curry is at 25, and Wembanyama is almost scoring as much as a future hall-of-famer.
“Feels kind of sad because I grew up watching these guys, and it feels like the end of an era,” said Devin Sams, junior.
Some of the best players to ever live are aging and retiring fast. Who knows who the next great player will be and when they will show up, or maybe these players have more life in them than we think.
