Since the beginning of the NBA, there have been more than 4000 players in the league and the average length of their career is approximately 4.5 years. This is not surprising because basketball is a fast paced game that requires physical strength the most. It is very rare to see players over the age of 35 stay in the NBA. However, there have been some players who played in the NBA for a long time and completed 15 to 20 seasons, which is definitely commendable. Let’s have a look at the players who have played the longest in the league.
#10 Carmelo Anthony – 19 Seasons
There have been many players who played 19 seasons: Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, Moses Malone, John Stockton, Charles Oakley, Jason Kidd, James Edwards, Tyson Chandler, Karl Malone, Juwan Howard, Jason Terry and Udonis Haslem. Carmelo Anthony is one of them, who announced his retirement on May 22, 2023. During his career, “Melo” played for six teams but never won the NBA Championship.
#9 LeBron James – 19 Seasons
The best player in the league currently, LeBron James has played in the league for 19 years and has proved it every time why he is one of the greatest ever to step on the court. He has won four championship rings and achieved glory with three different teams. James has already played 19 seasons and will be playing his 20th this year. “The L-Train” will definitely end his career as the all-time top scorer, possibly reaching 40,000 points. He is good at assists, steals, blocks, rebounds, and everything else, which makes him the perfect player.
#8 Kobe Bryant – 20 Seasons
The legendary Kobe Bryant played his entire career with the LA Lakers. One of the greatest players of all time has won five championship rings, two-time Finals MVP, 18 All-star, five time scoring champion and many other awards. “Black Mamba” recorded a total of 33,643 points in his career. Kobe averaged 25 points per game and was also superb in the defense, making 1,944 career steals throughout his career.
#7 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 20 Seasons
Another NBA legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also played 20 seasons in the NBA. He spent 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and six with the Milwaukee Bucks. “Lew” is also the current all-time scoring leader with 38,387 points. He is fourth in rebounds (17,440), third in blocks (3,189) and also the player with the highest win shares in history (273.4). He has won the most MVP awards (six) and also has six championship rings.
#6 Jamal Crawford – 20 Seasons
Jamal Crawford played his first four seasons with the Chicago Bulls and the next four seasons with the New York Knicks. Later, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors for one season before being traded again, but this time to the Atlanta Hawks. Jamal played one season with the Portland Trail Blazers and then got with the Los Angeles Clippers for five seasons. “J Crossover” played his final three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets.
#5 Kevin Willis – 21 Seasons
Kevin Willis spent his NBA career with eight teams. First eleven years with the Atlanta Hawks and then with the Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. “T-Rex” averaged 12.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. Kevin won the NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2002–03 season. Willis was not a standout player, but he had the consistency that most players lack.
#4 Dirk Nowitzki – 21 Seasons
Dirk Nowitzki played his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks and led them to the championship in the 2010–11 season, where he was the Finals MVP. Additionally, “Dunking Deutschman” also won the MVP of the 2006–07 season. Nowitzki averaged over 20 points per game in 13 seasons and had 12 straight seasons with over 500 rebounds. The German player was also an amazing three-point shooter, making 1,982 threes at 38.0 percent.
#3 Robert Parish – 21 Seasons
Robert played a total of 1,611 games in his 21 seasons in the league. He started his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors in the 1976–77 season, then played 14 seasons with the Boston Celtics and won three rings. “The Chief” then played a few seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and spent his last season with the Chicago Bulls, winning a championship as well. The Hall of Famer averaged 14.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
#2 Kevin Garnett – 21 Seasons
Kevin Garnett was the fifth overall pick in the 1995 draft, selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He went on to play 14 seasons with this team. However, Garnett was unable to win the championship with the Timberwolves, but when he became a part of the Boston Celtics, he got his first NBA ring. “The Franchise” was the MVP of the 2003–04 season, Defensive Player of the Year in the 2007–08 season, and made 15 appearances in the All-Star Game. Garnett averaged 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game during his career.
#1 Vince Carter – 22 Seasons
The longest-tenured player in the NBA is Vince Carter, who played 22 seasons in the league. He played for eight teams: the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks. Sadly, “Vinsanity” never won a championship ring. Vince was the Rookie of the Year in the 1998–99 season and an eight-time All-Star.
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