Nick Kyrgios, in seemingly continuous admiration of Novak Djokovic, recently likened the Serb’s longevity to that of LeBron James on social media.
On Wednesday, February 7, Eurosport compared Djokovic to former NBA superstar Michael Jordan on Instagram, drawing parallels to their longevity in their respective sports.
A few hours later, Nick Kyrgios commented on the post, likening Djokovic to LeBron James instead. He claimed that LeBron is still outstanding at 40, whereas Michael Jordan stopped playing much earlier and wasn’t as dominant as LeBron James is now.
“No. He is Lebron. Lebron is still doing this at 40. Jordan stopped a lot earlier. And wasn’t as dominant,” Kyrgios said.
Richard Gasquet also responded to the post, claiming that Djokovic is an exception to the general trend of players becoming less proficient over time as the Serb continues to win Grand Slams at 37. Gasquet agreed with the comparison to NBA legend Michael Jordan, writing:
“One has to become less good, apart from Djokovic, who wins Grand Slams at almost 37 years old. Have we ever experienced this in sport, apart from perhaps Jordan?”
Michael Jordan, a six-time NBA Champion and NBA Finals MVP, retired in 2003 at the age of 40, almost two decades after his debut.
LeBron James, on the other hand, is 39 and still active in the NBA. James is a four-time NBA Champion and NBA Finals MVP.
Novak Djokovic is set to turn 37 in May. In 2023, he clinched the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open titles. The World No. 1 also reached the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final but was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serbian star is currently tied with Margaret Court for a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Djokovic’s bid to extend his tally to 25 Grand Slam singles titles was thwarted by Jannik Sinner in the semifinal of the 2024 Australian Open, with the Italian eventually going on to win the Major.
