Kyrie Irving says winning a gold medal and NBA title are ‘the same’

For Kyrie Irving, winning an NBA title and a gold medal are the same thing, basically.

Irving originally said that to ESPN’s Marc Stein, but not much context was provided. He then took to Snapchat to elaborate on his comments:

Here are his transcribed comments from Snapchat:

“There was a statement released earlier that I thought that an NBA championship and a gold medal were the same thing. What’s great about that is that it’s in my opinion. Meaning that I personally feel that way. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about it. I do know that the journeys are different between getting a gold medal and winning an NBA championship. The competition is different. There are a lot of things that factor. In terms of the feeling and the accomplishment, in my opinion, for me, they’re almost the same. Because neither one is guaranteed. There’s no guarantee that we’re gonna win a gold medal. There’s no guarantee going into the season that you’re going to win an NBA championship.

“So, for me, I appreciate the journey and the reward … And I’ve lived my way on my terms. And I will continue to do so. It’s funny to see all the different opinions and thoughts on it. But for me personally, it’s an accomplishment that I will remember for the rest of my life if it happens.

Irving, at 24, really is in a rare circumstance where he can compare winning a title and (probably) a gold medal within months of each other. And Irving notes that there are differences in each process. What he’s saying here is totally fair and reasonable and it’s nothing to get worked about. This is really the summer of Kyrie and he’s just enjoying it as he sees fit.

Bet the post-gold medal party won’t be as fun as the Cavs title parade, though.