Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving said Friday he's "hopefully" going to retire from the NBA in his "early-to-mid 30s."

The 26-year-old star told Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com why he's planning to walk away from the sport well before his 40th birthday:

"I love basketball itself. But everything that comes with it? It doesn't really matter to me, in terms of my life. I enjoy the game, I enjoy being with my teammates, playing every single day.

"Being an NBA player, this is a dream I've had since I was a kid. I think everything else that comes with it doesn't hold the same stature it once did.

"But I enjoy it, though. I love this game."

Irving was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2011-12 season after the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the first overall pick in the 2011 draft. He's proceeded to earn five All-Star Game selections and he won a championship with the Cavs in 2016.

The Duke product, who Cleveland traded to Boston as part of a blockbuster trade in August 2017, believes the focus has gotten too far away from basketball in recent years, per Bontemps:

"I just think the material gain in it just doesn't really matter to me anymore as much as it once did. The little things are just what make the game special. Coming every single day and playing with these guys, and still try to figure out what that challenge is to be better as a basketball player rather than like, 'What's my popularity like?' or 'What branding could be done here?' or something like that. That all comes, but I think the love of the game should always outshine everything else that comes with the NBA lifestyle."

Irving can utilize a player option in his contract to become an unrestricted free agent after the current campaign. His comments Friday suggest the next lucrative contract he signs could be his last.

For now, Irving and the Celtics are focused on chasing down an Eastern Conference championship and a spot against the winner of the loaded Western Conference in the 2019 NBA Finals.

He's averaging 22.4 points, 6.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals across 17 appearances this season.