There are plenty of links you could make between Tom Brady and LeBron James as athletes. Both are widely considered the best player of their generation, possibly the best ever. Both have appeared in more championship rounds than any other active player in their sport, winning several along the way. Both are meticulous about the way they approach the game and take care of their body.

And you can add another thing to the list: They both apparently want to play until they literally can't play anymore. 

It's frequently been wondered if Brady may hang up his cleats soon, and yet the Patriots quarterback keeps pushing back the date/age that he hopes to play until. And why shouldn't he? He's still performing, racking up accolades and career achievements. And most importantly, he's still winning. 

James, 34, has taken note of Brady's process and he hopes to follow in similar footsteps. Prompted by Carmelo Anthony's return to the NBA, LeBron was asked on Thursday if he had any idea what the end of his career might look like. 

"Not really. Not the way I feel right now," said James, via Dave McMenamin. Me and Tom Brady are one in the same. We're going to play until we can't walk no more."

The Patriots quarterback was asked about LeBron's comparison and he seemed to have no problem sharing that classification with the Lakers star.

"I've always admired him, he's a great athlete and player," Brady told the media on Friday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. "He loves the sport. He loves basketball. He loves competition. I feel the same about football."

He doesn't seem to be thinking too hard about that, at least not at the moment.

It feels as though Brady, 42, might be a little closer to the end of the road than James is right now. But then again, who really knows? It feels like either one of them could legitimately play forever.