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; he ended his own. LeBron James is in the 21st season of the NBA and it seems that he doesn't want to retire yet. The superstar forward has two years left on his current contract with the LA Lakers, so it shouldn't surprise us that he reaches season 23 in the league before retiring. As we said, LeBron James is in the 21st season of the NBA and is the oldest player in the League.
James, a four-time champion, Finals MVP and regular season MVP, is also the all-time leading scorer. The eight-time All-Star first played with the Toronto Raptors in 1998 and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999. Only ten players in NBA history have played 20 or more seasons in their respective careers. Three other great basketball players played for 20 seasons: Los Angeles Lakers legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant, and Jamal Crawford, three times winner of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. Speaking of NBA legends, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also played 20 seasons, 14 with the Los Angeles Lakers and six with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Jamal Crawford in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft, but on the same day of the draft, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls, where he played his first four seasons. To stay in the NBA, you have to prove that you're one of the best players in the world and that you're up to the league's standards. The veteran point guard has played 1,086 games in 18 years in the NBA, averaging 14.5 ppg, 6.3 apg and 4.4 RPG. A study by The Game Day claims to have found the best NBA players of all time, placing Michael Jordan and LeBron James out of the top five.
In such a vertiginous and physically demanding game, not many are able to endure two decades in the NBA, since this sport seriously affects an athlete's body. He always adapted to his role and did it, and that's why he stayed in the NBA for 20 years despite being an average player at best. However, there are always exceptions, and there have been a handful of players who have stayed in the NBA for a long time, competing at the highest level for 15 or even 20 seasons, which is absolutely admirable. The longest-serving player in the NBA is Vince Carter, who played 22 seasons on eight teams: the Toronto Raptors, the New Jersey Nets, the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks.
Being first in the overall draft comes with a lot of pressure and, unfortunately for these NBA players, it was just too difficult to handle. Throughout his 21-year career, LeBron James has proven time and time again that he is one of the best basketball players to ever walk on a court. In 1985-86, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the previous record of 16 NBA seasons held by Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas and Elvin Hayes; he ended his career in 1988-89 with a record of 20 seasons played.
