"No, he is LeBron": Nick Kyrgios responds to Gasquet's Djokovic Michael Jordan comparison with different take
ATP
Michael Jordan? More like LeBron James according to Nick Kyrgios after Richard Gasquet compared the Serbian great, Novak Djokovic to the basketball legend this past week.
Gasquet who himself continues to play into his late 30's albeit with not as much success as Djokovic lauded the 24-time Grand Slam champion for his longevity, but Kyrgios believes he is more of a LeBron James due to the fact that he didn't stop earlier and is still at the peak of his powers now.
“One has to become less good, apart from Djokovic, who wins Grand Slams at almost 37 years old," said Gasquet to L'Equipe.
"Have we ever experienced this in sport, apart from perhaps Jordan. [Lionel] Messi plays in Miami, the others in Saudi Arabia, he is world No. 1... I can't explain how a guy like that is so strong at that age.
"At 37-38 years old, normally you are not as good as at 25. I never thought I'd be playing the year I turned 38. Unimaginable.”
"Have we ever experienced this in sport, apart from perhaps Jordan. [Lionel] Messi plays in Miami, the others in Saudi Arabia, he is world No. 1... I can't explain how a guy like that is so strong at that age.
"At 37-38 years old, normally you are not as good as at 25. I never thought I'd be playing the year I turned 38. Unimaginable.”
"No, he is LeBron," Kyrgios wrote in response to the comments by Gasquet. "LeBron is still doing this at 40. Jordan stopped a lot earlier and wasn't as dominant."
As someone who is a known basketball fan and also one of Djokovic due to their budding bromance, Kyrgios perhaps takes the win on this comparison. But still it is very much the mark of the great Serbian that he is being compared to fellow sporting greats who like him are still at the top of their game.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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