Tom Brady reacts to the Buccaneers clinching their first trip to the postseason in 13 years after beating the Lions, 47-7. Brady says he’s happy about the win, but the team still has a lot of work to do to win a title.
If there's anybody who appreciates sustained excellence, it's Tom Brady.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback won six Super Bowl titles during his 20 years with the New England Patriots and still is an elite quarterback at the ripe age of 43.
So, it's fitting that Brady offered a birthday shout-out Wednesday to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who in many ways is the Brady of the NBA.
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SIGN UP HERE Brady has three extra seasons and two championships on James in a much more physically demanding sport. But like Brady, LeBron has been remarkably durable and successful over an 18-season career that includes 10 trips to the NBA Finals.
In fact, James ranks eighth in NBA history in total minutes played (48,673), while Brady sits at 12th all time in NFL games played at 300.
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Neither icon is showing signs of decline, either: Brady's Bucs are 10-5 thanks to the QB's 4,234 passing yards and 36 touchdown passes, while James is averaging 22.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists for a Lakers team that's favored to repeat as the NBA champion.
Brady and James have long shared a mutual respect that should continue after their playing days. But at the moment, that end is not in sight.