List of NBA seasons played leaders

Only twelve players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have played 20 or more seasons in their respective careers. In 1985–86, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the previous NBA record of 16 seasons held by Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas and Elvin Hayes;[1][2][3] he finished his career in 1988–89 with a then-record 20 seasons played.[4][5] Robert Parish broke the mark in 1996–97, when he retired after 21 seasons[6][7] and Kevin Willis tied him in his final season in 2006–07.[a][9] They were joined by Kevin Garnett in 2015–16 when he began his 21st season.[10] The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant was the first NBA player to spend 20 seasons with one team.[11] In 2018–19, Dirk Nowitzki surpassed Bryant with 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.[12] In 2019–20, Vince Carter became the first player to play 22 seasons in the NBA.[13] In 2025–26, LeBron James surpassed this record by playing in his 23rd season.[14][15]

Seasons played leaders

LeBron James with an angry face
LeBron James, who began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, holds the NBA record of 23 seasons played.
Carter shooting the ball against a defender
Vince Carter, who began his career with the Toronto Raptors, is the first player in NBA history to have played in 22 seasons.
Parish looking up
Robert Parish was the first to play 21 seasons in the NBA, currently tied for the third most in league history.
Nowitzki looking up
Dirk Nowitzki spent his entire 21-year career with the Dallas Mavericks, the most ever by an NBA player with one team.[16]
Garnett dunking
Kevin Garnett began his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, returning later and tying the then-record of 21 seasons played in 2016.
Chris Paul holds the record for the most seasons played among guards with 21 seasons.
Abdul-Jabbar shooting a skyhook over a defender
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989 with a then-record of 20 seasons played.
Bryant dribbling
Kobe Bryant was the first guard to play 20 seasons.
Kidd gripping a basketball and starting to leap
Jason Kidd had two stints with the Dallas Mavericks in his career, retiring tied with a then-record 19 seasons as a guard.
John Stockton spent all 19 years of his NBA career with the Utah Jazz, from 1984 to 2003.
^ Active NBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[b]
§ 1st time eligible for Hall of Fame in 2027[17]
NBA seasons played leaders
Rank Player Position Team(s) Seasons
1LeBron James^ SF
23
2Vince Carter* SG / SF
22
3Robert Parish* C
21
Kevin Willis[a] PF / C
Kevin Garnett* PF
Dirk Nowitzki* PF Dallas Mavericks (1998–2019)
Chris Paul† PG
8Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* C
20
Kobe Bryant* SG Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2016)
Jamal Crawford SG
Udonis Haslem PF / C
Kyle Lowry† PG
13Moses Malone* C
19
James Edwards C
John Stockton* PG Utah Jazz (1984–2003)
Karl Malone* PF
Charles Oakley PF
Shaquille O'Neal* C
Juwan Howard PF
Jason Kidd* PG
Tim Duncan* PF / C San Antonio Spurs (1997–2016)
Paul Pierce* SG / SF
Jason Terry SG
Tyson Chandler C
Carmelo Anthony* SF
Andre Iguodala SG / SF
Mike Conley Jr.^ PG
Al Horford^ C

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Willis' career spanned 23 years, but he missed two seasons. He was out injured all of 1988–89 and initially retired and did not play in 2005–06 before returning for five games in 2007.[8]
  2. ↑ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for two calendar years.

References

General
  • "NBA Players with the Most Regular Seasons Played". LandOfBasketball.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  • "For single seasons, played in the NBA/BAA, in the regular season, from 1946–47 to 2016–17, sorted by most seasons matching criteria". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
Specific
  1. ↑ Bonk, Thomas (September 28, 1985). "Lakers Move Closer to Signing Kareem for a Year or 2 More". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Roy S. (May 22, 1983). "THE LONG-RUN SUCCESS OF KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
  3. ↑ Goldaper, Sam (February 12, 1984). "HAYES ENJOYING FAREWELL SEASON". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ Murray, Jim (November 17, 1992). "A Chapter Closed, He Is Opening". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ Pandian, Ananth (March 6, 2015). "For ticket sales the Lakers will honor Kobe's 20th season". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ Armour, Terry (August 26, 1997). "After 21 Seasons, Parish Walks Away". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  7. ↑ Bjarkman, Peter C. (2002). Boston Celtics Encyclopedia. Sports Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 9781582615646. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Kevin Willis Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ Carlton, James (July 7, 2015). "Garnett will become just the third NBA player to play 21 seasons". FoxSports.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015.
  10. ↑ "NBA short takes". The Starr-Tribune. October 31, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Top stats to know: Kobe Bryant's statistical legacy". ESPN.com. November 29, 2015. Archived from the original on December 1, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Recap:Mavs' Nowitzki Makes Debut in 21st Season Against Suns". The Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. December 13, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Hawks' Vince Carter becomes first NBAer to play in 22 seasons". Sportsnet.ca. October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Most seasons in the NBA: How LeBron James will make history with 2024 Lakers debut". The Sporting News. October 22, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Sources: Lakers' LeBron James to make season debut vs. Jazz". ESPN.com. October 22, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Dirk Nowitzki finally debuts, not quite up to 'NBA speed' yet". ESPN. December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  17. ↑ "2027 Hall of Fame Candidates". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
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