Kyrie Irving Provides Update On When He'll Retire

Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving is only 26 years of age and has many prime years left, but the perennial All-Star is already talking about his eventual retirement.

Speaking to reporters before Friday's game against the Atlanta Hawks - led by 41-year-old ageless wonder Vince Carter - Irving gave a timeline on when he expects to retire from the game. Hint: It'll be much sooner than Carter's looming retirement.

"No, no," Irving said, via ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "Once I'm done with this, hopefully in my early to mid-30s, I'm done with this."

Despite an ongoing knee injury since the 2015 NBA Finals (Irving got a procedure that cut his 2017-18 season short), Irving doesn't appear to be the least bit bothered by it. He's averaging 22.4 points, 6.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game - one of the few positives in what's been a disappointing season for the Celtics thus far.

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Drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011, Irving has emerged as one of the game's flashiest do-it-all point guards. He only turns 27 in March and looks set to play at an MVP-like level for several more years.

Irving is expected to opt out of his contract this offseason, though he's already verbally committed to re-signing with the Celtics. Irving figures to land a multi-year deal well over $120 million that will put take him past his mid-30s.

What This Means

It's hard for NBA superstars to maintain a high level of play once they reach their mid-30s, though LeBron James is obviously a major exception. If Irving's knees hold up, he could very well continue to dominate for another 10 years.

But nobody ever knows when a player will start regressing, and perhaps Irving will decline in production and decide to retire in his early 30s. That's all for another day, however. C's fans just need to enjoy Irving while he's in his prime.

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