Cristiano Ronaldo Shares Admiration For LeBron James

LeBron James is in unfamiliar territory as he began the season sidelined due to injury. Whenever the Los Angeles Lakers star takes the court though, he will be the first player to play in 23 NBA seasons.

What James has done in his career is unprecedented, and his work ethic has inspired other greats to follow in his footsteps.

Someone who can relate to James is soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo as he is still going strong at age 40. And he recently expressed his admiration for LeBron while also poking fun at the fellow international superstar, via Emilio Abad of Bolavip:

“What moves me? Myself,” Ronaldo said with a smile. “In basketball, there’s LeBron James, who’s my age. I’ve met him; he’s a good guy — but I have more hair than him! (laughs). He’s still in great physical condition and is still playing. There’s also Luka Modric, who’s about my age, and maybe Novak Djokovic.”

In the world of basketball, it is hard to imagine any current or future player achieving the level of longevity that LeBron has. Most careers last 10-15 years, but James has been able to maintain a high level of play, finishing sixth in MVP voting in his 22nd season.

At this stage of his career though and currently nursing an injury, perhaps James is finally showing signs of the end being near.

Similar to Ronaldo, fans are expecting these aging stars to ride off into the sunset, but they simply love the game too much and continue to play at a high level. At James’ age, there is nothing left for him to prove, but his love for the game and desire to compete for championships keeps him going.

Seeing the Lakers off to a strong start to begin this season may heighten LeBron desire to comeback and hopefully he elevates L.A. to contention with perennial All-NBA play once again.

Latest LeBron James injury update

When it was announced that LeBron James would miss several weeks to begin the season, the Lakers were expected to get off to a rocky start. But thanks to their strong early-season play, there is no reason to rush James back onto the court.

Thankfully, the light appears to be at the end of the tunnel as James was cleared for contact work and will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks.