One of the biggest NBA games of the year took place on Friday, with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Golden State Warriors in game six of the Western Conference semi-finals. In attendance, watching his old friend LeBron James battle it out, was none other than seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton and James go way back, with the latter’s global popularity getting him in touch with one of the greatest basketball players of all time. James, like Hamilton, is 38 years old and both legends are in the twilight of their respective careers. Regardless, they are still going strong, and putting in the hard work week in and week out.
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At the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Hamilton took time out from his busy schedule to watch the James vs Curry duel. The Mercedes star sat in the front row, tickets for which cost up to $30,000.
Lakers, led by James approached game six with a 3-2 lead, and with a win, can close out the series to play Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Warriors, meanwhile, would be hoping for a Stephen Curry masterclass to force a game seven back in San Francisco on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton and LeBron James’ old friendship
Lewis Hamilton is arguably the most popular F1 driver in the world and has famous close friends outside the racing circuit. He is good friends with some of the biggest American sports stars like Tom Brady and Serena Williams, with even James being a part of the club.
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The Lakers forward has attended F1 races in the past, where he caught up with Hamilton and posted pictures of the two of them on social media. At the Monaco GP last year, James was one of the big names present on the track and stayed back after the race day to catch up with the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton inspired by James’ never give up attitude
Hamilton is 38 years old, and still going strong. but at the moment, he is driving a car that is not capable of winning races. The seven-time world champion wants to win another title before he retires to establish his status as the ultimate great, moving clear of Michael Schumacher. However, the poor mechanical package of Mercedes has frustrated him and his fans, with rumors of retirement popping up every few weeks.
Hamilton, however, has no desire to quit, and cites the likes of Tom Brady and LeBron James as inspirations behind refusing to quit, despite having achieved everything in life at a relatively old age.
