“The NBA, for Example, Has Long Rest Periods”: When Cristiano Ronaldo Downplayed LeBron James and Tom Brady’s Longevity

LeBron James has shattered the glass ceiling of what is famously called the ravages of ‘Father Time’ in professional sports. He refuses to slow down at the ripe age of 39 and is still very much inclined to slam fastbreak dunks and get the odd chase-down block under his belt. Legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo also had a similar wish to continue playing at a high level till he’s 42. However, the striker once pointed out that the challenges of his sport don’t allow his body to recover like that of LeBron James or Tom Brady.

In a January 2022 ESPN interview, Ronaldo laid out his desire to play till he is 42. During the interview, he also revealed that even after entering his late 30s, “genetically” he feels 30 years old.

Ronaldo highlighted how the mental side of things is tougher than the physical side to increase longevity. Despite that, the athlete displayed a desire to have a long career and keep playing at a top level for an extended period. He told ESPN, “I want to find out if I’m going to play until I’m 40, 41, or 42, but the most important thing is that my daily goal is to enjoy the moment.”

The subject of longevity prompted the mention of LeBron James and Tom Brady. The 7x Super Bowl champion played for around 22 years in the NFL and NBA’s James is highly likely to surpass that number. Addressing the longevity of Bron and Brady, the prolific striker opined that NBA and NFL players get more time for recovery because of the nature of their respective sports. For him, soccer duties are much more taxing than the NBA and NFL calendars.

“You mentioned some excellent athletes who have already been active for many years. In my opinion, there is no other sport that has as much workload as football. The NBA, for example, has long rest periods, but I don’t want to expand on that,” Ronaldo argued.

Two years after the interview, Ronaldo continues to sizzle the pitch for Al-Nassr. But the 38-year-old is not performing at the highest level of soccer like Brady and LeBron did at his age. Is he right about the much-lessened workload in the NFL and the NBA compared to pro football? Let’s have a look.

Making sense of Ronaldo’s comments

While many NBA players have endured 10+ years of pro career, the average career length in the league is 4.5 years if we take into account around 5000 players who have ever played in the league. For the NFL, considering the constant dangers of CTE and potential physical damage, the average career span is a mere 3.3 years. These numbers once again highlight how exceptional LBJ and Tom Brady have been in terms of longevity.

Average Career Length by Sports Profession [OC]
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But coming back to Ronaldo’s point, if the workload is more in football then the career span should be less than eight years on average? But it isn’t. The answer to this question is complex. Football is indeed a tough sport considering the humungous dimensions of the ground and the constant cardio needed. There is little doubt that football needs more stamina than either the NFL or the NBA. An average footballer covers more than 5.5 miles per game, while in the NBA, the number is around 2-3 miles a game.

But then there’s the nonstop risk of physical harm in the NFL which is the most physical among the three sports compared here. And the NBA’s grinding 82-game schedule, in addition to the playoffs, where the injury risk is high due to the high-flying and up-and-down style of play. In the end, this subject remains a complex one and a matter of deep introspection and analysis.