In a recent conversation, NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens weighed in on the career longevity of NBA superstar LeBron James and offered a staunch defense of fellow athlete Kyrie Irving, praising both for their commitment to self and their careers.
LeBron James and the Pursuit of 48
Addressing the possibility of LeBron James extending his career into his late 40s, Owens expressed amazement at James’s dedication but chuckled at the specific age.
“I don’t know about 48,” laught Owens. “But if anyone can do it, he can do it,” Owens stated. He credited James’s success to his disciplined approach to personal maintenance and physical fitness. “Obviously he’s invested a lot in himself and I think that he’s pretty much set the mark for all the athletes that are playing with longevity like him — you think about Kobe, you think about Dirk… guys that have played 15-plus years.”
Owens emphasized that such sustained performance requires more than just training. “That’s what it takes to take care of your body. As much as you work out, nutrition is a big part of it and LeBron is definitely taking advantage of that.”
The Defense of ‘Different’ Kyrie Irving
Owens also offered strong support for Kyrie Irving, arguing that the NBA star is “misunderstood” simply because he chooses to be different and stand up for himself.
“Because he’s different. He’s not doing anything illegal,” Owens asserted. He dismissed criticisms of Irving’s on-court behavior, such as stepping on logos, as trivial, saying, “Like, who cares if anybody goes out there and steps on a logo; this and that or the other? A lot of teams do that.”
Owens believes Irving is unfairly targeted due to his outspoken nature: “Because of who he is and I think how he represents himself and how he stands up for himself, I think that he’s a poster boy and puts a target on himself; and that’s not a bad thing.”
Ultimately, Owens views Irving as a “TREMENDOUS athlete” who embraces the consequences of his convictions. “He’s a TREMENDOUS athlete; a guy that stands up for himself and it just goes with the territory — you stand for something and you have to do that every time you present yourself and he’s done a great job with that,” Owens remarked.
He concluded by commending Irving for using his platform to address social issues: “You think about a lot of guys that are using their platforms to often speak up about a number of different issues such as social injustice topics… he’s one of those guys that are at the forefront; like I said, you may not like it but at the end of the day, he’s staying true to himself.”
