WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Boston Celtics star guard Kyrie Irving said on Friday that he wants to retire in his early to mid-30s rathan than sticking around for 20 or more seasons like Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki and others.
"Once I'm done with this, hopefully in my early to mid-30s, I'm done with this," said Irving, who's playing his eighth NBA season. "I love basketball itself. But everything that comes with it? It doesn't really matter to me, in terms of my life."
The five-time All-Star point guard added that people don't realize or understand the grind and stress that an NBA season can put on a player.
He said: "Putting our bodies on the line, understanding kind of the mental strain you put on just trying to be great every single day, and just literally putting the ball in the hoop better than you did yesterday. It comes at a price."
"But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to take for as long as possible in order to win as many championships and be as successful as I can," Irving added.
For his career, Irving is averaging 22 points, 5.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds.