欧文谈NBA退役计划：只要热爱就继续打，想以自己想要的方式结束生涯

Kyrie Irving returned to the NBA after 586 days when the Dallas Mavericks faced the Houston Rockets for the second time in Macau. The Mavericks won 135-117, and Irving finished with 17 points, two rebounds, and three assists, shooting 6-for-13 from the field (46.15% FG) and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc (33.3% 3P).

After the game, Kyrie Irving sat down for the post-game press conference and answered questions from Chinese media. One reporter asked him to reflect on his age compared with iconic NBA point guards like Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, and John Wall, all of whom retired in their mid-30s, and whether he sees his career coming to an end any time soon.

“I don’t really think about it in terms of just how much longer I’m going to keep playing,” Kyrie Irving said. “I’m always going to be around the basketball community, whether I’m in the NBA or not. I feel like my purpose is a lot bigger than just that.”

“But just when I’m entertaining and getting to perform and be a leader alongside some of my other teammates in the NBA, and still be an impactful player, still go out there and demand excellence, demand greatness for myself, as long as I can wake up every day and step out of bed and feel good, I’m gonna continue to play.”

“And the support around me is incredible as well. I’ve built a great support system that goes well beyond the court,” Irving continued. “So basketball is the easy part. Preparing for it is the harder part. There are the unseen hours; it’s the lifting, it’s the daily routines, daily schedules that kind of get the best of you sometimes, get tiring.” 

“But when you love something, when you love what you do, I think all you guys can attest to it in some type of capacity. When you love what you do every day, it doesn’t feel like a job.”

“And ever since I came into the league, I’ve learned a lot of lessons about my body, a lot of lessons about getting knocked off kind of the top spot, or where you are at your peak, and then having to go through some of those rehab sessions and just kind of reconstruct who you are on the court,” Kyrie Irving added.

“I’ve had the, I don’t want to call it a luxury, but I’ve had the experience of just having traumatic injuries and coming back, and I’m grateful I’ve been able to lean on that experience. So I’m gonna keep playing as long as I love just being in the NBA, being around camaraderie, being in a locker room.”

“When that day comes, you guys don’t know. I’ll definitely probably tweet it out, go on livestream, or come over here and explain what I’m doing for the next part of my life,” Kyrie Irving further added.

“But basketball has rewarded me beyond measure. It’s not just about the money aspect anymore. It’s about legacy, and I have my children watching over me as well, or watching, coming up behind me, and the purpose is bigger now. The next generation is watching.”

“I represent something bigger than just the game of basketball, so I’m just leaning into that as well,” Irving noted. “But at the end of the day, I want to win. I’m a competitor.”

“And I appreciate you naming some of those guys who have come before me too, like John Wall and Derrick Rose. Those guys have dealt with traumatic injuries as well and come back and played as long as they could. So I commend those guys. They’ve set a great example for me, and I’m just extending it on behalf of them as well,” Kyrie Irving said in conclusion.

After an extended injury break, Irving’s comeback marks a major turning point, and his comments suggest he has no immediate plans to retire. The 34-year-old Mavericks star is still committed to playing at the top level while acknowledging the value of his legacy, family, and health.

With his comeback underway, Kyrie Irving hopes to inspire the next generation of basketball players while also helping the Mavericks compete. All eyes are on Irving as he navigates his bounce-back and finally plays alongside the Mavericks’ star, Cooper Flagg.