They say successful people like to surround themselves with equally successful people. 

A way of pushing one another in order to achieve more and become better irrespective of background.

Karim Benzema has done exactly that for a number of years at Real Madrid and he has maintained such a view in the build-up to pre-season.

Real Madrid footballer Karim Benzema poses with Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant

Benzema is currently on holiday in New York. A keen basketball fan – and avid watcher of Real’s basketball team – he caught up with NBA star Kevin Durant.

Durant was fresh from winning his first NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors.

Benzema also enjoyed a very successful last year at Santiago Bernabeu. 

Benzema won his third Champions League title with Real Madrid last season

The France striker won his third Champions League title as well as his second La Liga crown.

Benzema and Durant posed for a photograph together on Thursday before the striker captioned the image on Instagram with ‘champs’.

Both will be hoping next season is as lucrative for the pair of them as the last. 

Durant won his first NBA championship with Golden State Warriors this year as well